Smugglers and Spies
by Book 'em Again
Summary: As HPD's newest officer, Danny Williams never thought that his oath to serve and protect would involve taking up a life of crime. And when Danny's path crosses that of the island's top cop an unlikely bond is formed and history is made.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: Eventful Homecomings**

_June 1962_

He was going home.

It seemed odd after so many years away, but as his plane slowly descended toward Oahu, Danny Williams knew that Hawaii had never really left him. He had been born and raised on the islands, as much as of a true Hawaiian as any haole could be. He lived for the sun, the surf, and the unique spirit of the islands. It hadn't been by choice that Danny left Hawaii for the first time at the age of seventeen, but he was mainly to blame for only coming back for one year out of the last seven; a choice that he still looked back on with a small sense of regret.

While the tourists seated behind him chatted excitingly about what they were going to do when they landed, Danny considered his own options. He wanted to head straight to the beach and hit the waves, but he needed to rent a car and check out the apartment that Lew had found for him. Once he was settled in, he should prepare for his interview tomorrow with the local police. Chief Dann had sounded interested when they had spoken over the phone, and Danny was hopeful that he could land a position. Although, Danny had no idea what he would do if wasn't offered a job.

As the plane touched the ground, Danny leaned back in his seat and pushed his worries from his mind. He was home and that was enough for now.

* * *

Aimi Fumito lingered as she walked down the empty Waikiki streets in the pre-dawn light. Her friends often teased her about always having to open her uncle's jewelry store, but privately she admitted to herself that this was her favorite time to be on the streets. All too soon tourists would wake up to see the famous Hawaiian sunrise and spend the day vacationing in the district, clogging the streets without a care or thought for those who worked and lived here. Nighttime was worse and Aimi had no taste for the type of nightlife that most of the tourists enjoyed. No, Aimi let her friends tease, but at least by opening the store she could enjoy a moment of peace in her home.

However, that peace quickly disappeared when Aimi reached her uncle's shop. She immediately noticed that the door that should have been locked tight was slightly ajar. After a moment of hesitation, she opened the door only to be frozen by what she saw inside. The store was neat, everything appeared to be in its proper place, but all the jewelry was missing from their cases! The entire store was cleaned out; her family's livelihood had disappeared overnight. It took every ounce of will Aimi had to back out onto the street, find a phone, and call the police.

* * *

With the police radio abuzz with the news on the latest jewelry heist in Waikiki, Detective Duke Lukela of the Honolulu Police Department was very glad that he wasn't Steve McGarrett. Incidents in the tourist district were a political nightmare, not that Duke didn't have his hands full with a theft case of his own.

It had started out of the blue: one night, three cars were stripped for parts right in downtown Honolulu. At first, no one thought anything of it, even though the cars were stripped where they were parked, instead of being hauled off to a chop shop. It was when the incidents continued night after night with no abetting that the public and the press began to complain, and loudly too. The audacity of leaving the stripped cars in the middle of downtown made Duke think that someone was purposely trying to make a statement.

The simple truth of the matter was if the thieves would have hauled the cars off to a chop shop, no one except HPD would have noticed the increased rate of thefts and they would have had a lot more breathing room to deal with the problem. Though if the thieves had a centralized chop shop, Duke reasoned, they probably would have caught them by now.

It was always tricky when someone tried to change the rules of the game.

HPD had responded by putting more men and patrols out in the area at night and they had even managed to catch a number of kids in the act, but the thefts continued unabated. And the kids they caught spoke of a very organized system: changing drop points, middlemen, and decent money in return for the goods. The problem was that none of these kids were able to provide information that would lead them to the man pulling the strings.

Duke had been on the case for three and a half weeks and it still felt like he was grasping at straws. That was why he feeling more than a little frustrated at being kept waiting outside the Chief's office. He knew what the Chief wanted and his report would not have those answers in it. Duke would rather be out on the street, doing something, anything, to feel like he was making progress in this case. However, Duke saw his own internal frustration mirrored on the face of Lieutenant Henry Kainoa, Head of HPD Detectives, when he walked into the room.

"What happened?" he asked his boss.

The large, but built, hapa-haole man quickly poured a cup of coffee before sitting down in the chair next to Duke. "That kid," he growled.

While there was a decent number of young cops on the force, Duke knew that there was only one officer that Henry could be referring to. "You mean Williams," Duke said.

Henry shrugged as if to suggest who else.

"What did he do this time?" Duke asked as he remembered what happened last week when Henry responded to a call from a local residence. A woman had woken up and found her husband's dead body in his study. Walking in on the scene and seeing the body, the gun, and the note, Henry had strongly suspected that the case would be ruled a suicide. He had been about to hand the scene over to the lab boys when a young officer that he hadn't recognized asked to speak with him. The officer stated that the handwriting on the suicide note wasn't that of the victims because it didn't match the handwriting on another document he had seen. The officer's comment had surprised Henry, but the greater surprise came when the lab had confirmed the officer's suspicions. Within a few days, Kainoa's men had been able to trace the note back to a business partner of the victim and the details of the murder started falling quickly into place. When Kainoa asked about the officer whose insight had sent them looking in the right direction, he had been shocked to find that the officer had been hired only the week before. Duke knew that Henry was slightly embarrassed by the whole incident by the way he labeled Williams' insights as beginner's luck.

"Did you hear we busted Rikko?"

Duke nodded; the coconut wireless worked quickly.

"Did you hear how?"

"No."

"We got word that he was holed up in this dump in Palama. I go in with Nick and two squad cars. Rikko decides to be on his best behavior and doesn't make a fuss as we search the place. Now, Williams was just to guard Rikko, keep him from trying anything."

"What did he do?"

"While the boys were searching the place, I noticed that Williams kept taking quick glances up at the ceiling. Since his instincts helped us out last time, I asked him what he was looking at. He said that the one light didn't appear to be giving off as much light as the others. Duke, I almost laughed right there, except Rikko turned as white as a sheet."

"The drugs were in a light? That doesn't make sense."

"Fake light. I don't understand how he set it up, but it only appeared to give off light."

Duke shook his head slightly. This kid was good, maybe too good.

"Can you believe it, Duke? I mean who does this kid think he is, Steve McGarrett?"

Duke took a sip of coffee as he pondered his answer. Because no matter how much Henry griped, Duke knew that his boss didn't bear Williams any ill will. His boss might look like a bear, but he had a soft spot for the men who served under him, especially the ones he growled about. The issue was that Henry saw the promise in the rookie officer, and his frustration came from the fact that Williams hadn't been on the force long enough to justify a transfer into his department. It didn't matter how talented the kid was, he needed to spend time on the street and out on patrol in order to learn some of the essential skills and harsh realities of working on a police force.

"Maybe," Duke began, hoping to change the subject. "What's the chance Dann is calling us in to congratulate you on the bust?"

Henry snorted. "Lower than zero. The noise is getting loud enough that the governor has taken notice. He wants this trend stopped and fast."

Duke shook his head; he really didn't like it when people started playing politics with police work. It was just a sign of how, to many, perception could matter more than the actual seriousness of the crime. And stripped cars sitting in the middle of downtown Honolulu didn't look good to the tourists passing through.

The soft voice of Dann's secretary broke Duke out of his thoughts. "Lieutenant Kainoa, Detective Lukela, the Chief will see you now."

Downing the rest of his coffee in one gulp, Duke stood and pitched the cup while Henry did the same beside him.

"Please tell me you have good news, gentlemen," Chief Dann said as they entered the room.

"Only bad, Chief," Duke reluctantly admitted.

"How many?"

"Another six cars last night."

"It's an epidemic."

Henry agreed. "Unfortunately, most of the local gangs seem to be in on it."

"Tell me about it. We've sent more kids to juvenile hall this past month than the previous six months combined, and it still hasn't made a dent in the thefts."

"Someone's throwing enough money around to make it worth the risk," Duke stated.

The Chief shook his head. "Doesn't make sense. There isn't that much money to be made in car parts."

"Somebody thinks there is," Duke insisted.

"Humph," sighed the larger detective next to him as he settled into a chair. When Duke glanced at his boss, Henry caught his eye and joked, "Too bad we couldn't throw wonder boy at this one."

Duke was about to laugh when an idea popped into his head. "Wait a minute…" he said slowly while trying to sort out his thoughts. "I think we just might be able to."

In an instant Henry's expression became serious. "Explain."

"We know someone is pulling the strings of these gangs, but the kids we've caught aren't talking or more likely they don't know."

"I agree."

"The way I figure it is that we are dealing with a rigid hierarchy and that we'll either need to catch someone fairly high up and the only way I see us succeeding is by getting one of our own men on the inside."

Henry didn't appear convinced. "Didn't we have this conversion a couple of weeks ago?"

"Williams wasn't on the force a couple of weeks ago," Duke countered.

Chief Dann tapped a pen on his desk as he added, "Also, Williams hasn't done much work downtown. He's a new face."

Henry appeared to be thinking it over. "Maybe, but that's a lot of responsibility to put on a rookie."

"Perhaps," the Chief pondered, "but I have a hunch that Williams might be up to the task."

Henry sent Dann a questioning look.

"Let's just say that his background includes some rather unique experiences."

"Alright, give," Henry said.

"Williams is a graduate of the Maritime Law Enforcement Academy and served as a Maritime Enforcement Officer with the Coast Guard for two years."

_Not bad_, Duke thought. "How familiar is he with Hawaii?" he asked.

"Grew up here, studied for a year at the University of Hawaii."

Duke was impressed, but Henry seemed to battling different emotions. "You hired an officer with experience in international drug smuggling and didn't tell me."

Duke held back a retort, though he wasn't surprised by his boss' statement. Since Five-O handled a lot of the homicide and other difficult cases, HPD's detectives mostly tried to keep a handle on Honolulu's growing drug problem; a job that Henry took very seriously. With that background, Duke knew that it would only be a matter of time before Williams would be brought into Henry's fold.

Dann laughed as if he was expecting that reaction. "I wanted to give the kid some time to settle in first."

"Kid," Henry stated. "Wait a minute, just how old is this _kid_, anyway?"

"Umm," the Chief murmured. "Twenty-four, I think."

"Doesn't look it."

Sensing that the Chief and his boss could go for hours, Duke quickly jumped in. "And that's why we can use him."

* * *

_Chapter edited by: Candycane and Bubblegum_


	2. Chapter 2

_AN: Sorry for the delay, but something came up and I had to switch beta-readers. A huge thank you to Traw for editing this chapter. _

**Chapter Two: An Unexpected Offer**

It is possible for certain knowledgeable elements of Hawaiian law enforcement to tell the mood of island's top cop by listening for the sound of squealing tires of a particular Mercury sedan. The owner of the car was perpetually in a hurry and never failed to make the sound that only varied in intensity based on the level of frustration running through his veins. That was how Detective Chin Ho Kelly knew that Steve McGarrett, head of Hawaii Five-O, was not in a good mood that morning even though he never would have been able to tell from looking at his boss as he approached the crime scene.

When Steve reached the police perimeter he paused for a minute to study the area. As Steve finished, Chin turned away from the woman he was interviewing and caught his boss' eye.

"Any good news to be found in this mess?" Steve asked softy.

"Sorry, Steve," Chin confessed. "Same MO as the last one. Ralph's inside with owner."

With a quick nod, Steve moved on and walked toward the shop. As Chin watched Steve go he couldn't help but think about the man who was the most powerful cop on these islands. When Governor Jameson announced that he was forming Five-O, Chin, like everyone else on HPD, assumed that Ralph Irons would be placed in charge of the new state police agency. At that time Ralph had been Chief Dann's right hand man at HPD and had headed the detective unit for almost a decade. But the newly elected governor had surprised everyone when he picked an outsider, a Navy Intelligence man named Steve McGarrett to head the unit.

Chin had worked under Ralph as a detective for HPD and they both had been hired for Five-O even though they were both older and more experienced than the man who was to be their boss. There had been rough patches at the beginning and while Chin admitted that Steve was tough and demanding, he could honestly say that he had never worked for a man who was more loyal to his men, the people, and the land that he was charged to protect. However, Steve's twenty-four hour work ethic and no nonsense way of running things caused many to perceive him as an overbearing perfectionist who placed unreasonable demands on those under him; a perception that was not helped by the turnover in the final detective slot. Kono Kalakaua was the third detective in as many years to hold that position and Chin was still trying to figure out the young Hawaiian.

When Steve left his sight Chin ended his thoughts and turned his attention back to the young woman standing before him. "Okay, Miss. Can you please tell me again exactly what you saw when you opened the door?"

* * *

The reverberations of his slammed locker door echoed throughout the off-duty room as Danny Williams attempted to calm his raging mind.

It wasn't like he expected life to be perfect when he returned to Hawaii; it was just that he hadn't expected his entrance into HPD to be quite so…rocky.

Chief Dann had been impressed by his qualifications and quickly signed him on, and Danny had been full of hopes when he started work. And it wasn't that things were going bad; it was more that the senior officers weren't quite sure what to do with him. Most treated him as a rookie, which Danny forced himself to admit that in many aspects he was. The city of Honolulu was very different than the open sea; he had never driven a squad car, patrolled the streets, or participated in a homicide investigation before joining HPD. However, he'd been in live fire situations, even though thankfully he had never had to shoot anyone, and he did have significant experience in dealing with drug smugglers. So why as everyone acting like he was stepping on a bunch of toes by helping out in that drug bust?

And it didn't help that his closest childhood friend wasn't being exactly supportive.

Lew Morgan leaned against the locker beside his and asked, "Are you purposely trying to get Kainoa to hate your guts?"

Danny turned to face his friend and answered, "No, but what else was I suppose to do?"

"Keep your mouth shut and let the lab boys figure it out."

Danny gritted his teeth; Lew thought he was being helpful. The truth was the lab boys probably would have figured out the note without his help, but the drugs… Danny knew from experience that finding hidden drugs involved as much luck as it did skill when your opponents knew what they were doing. No, Danny couldn't have counted on the other guys getting lucky.

Lew cocked his head to side as he asked, "Well?"

"I'd do it again, Lew," Danny answered honestly. "If Kainoa is mad at me for doing my job then that's his problem."

"Fine, pal, but it's your funeral."

"Hey, lay off bruddah," called a tall Samoan from across the room.

Sucking in his breath, Danny watched his friend carefully as he turned his head toward the other officer and snapped, "Back off, Kokua."

"Hey, take it easy," Danny said as he placed a calming hand on Lew's shoulder. For a few tense moments Danny thought Lew was going to let his temper get the best of him but he shrugged off Danny's hand and walked out the door without another word.

Danny slowly let out the breath he was holding. "Sorry about that," he said to the other officer. "Lew really isn't that bad of a guy. He just has…"

"A bit of a temper," finished the Samoan for him. Then reaching out his hand, he said, "Ben Kokua."

"Danny Williams," Danny replied as he shook the offered hand.

"I know Kainoa can appear intimidating but the gruff and sarcasm are just how he deals with the rough stuff he sees. If you ever have a problem there aren't many better guys on the force to talk to. "

Danny took his fellow officer's words to heart. "You're speaking from experience?"

Ben shrugged then shifted gears. "Look, the detective spots are hard to get and coveted by a lot of guys on the force. Your suggestions are making it look like you're angling for one." Ben nodded towards the door that Lew had walked through moments before. "Your friend there wants one."

"And you?"

"Maybe," Ben responded with a slight grin.

Danny was thinking of a reply when he heard someone call his name. He turned around and saw Lieutenant Kealoha standing in the doorway. "Chief wants to see you."

_Great, just what I need_, Danny thought to himself as he followed Kealoha.

Arriving at Chief Dann's office, Danny couldn't help but feel a little intimidated by those who were gathered. He noticed the head of HPD detectives, Lieutenant Henry Kainoa right away. He was there with one of his men, a middle-aged Hawaiian that Danny recognized only by sight. Lieutenant George Kealoha, one of the Chief's right hands who frequently served as a go between with HPD and Five-O, followed him into the room. And seated behind his desk was Chief Mike Dann, Head of HPD.

Chief Dann gestured to the one officer he didn't know and said, "Officer Williams, this is Officer Duke Lukela from our detective unit and I think you know everyone else."

Danny nodded and waited for the Chief to continue.

"I suspect you're wondering why you're here."

"Yes, sir."

"Word of some your exploits have reached my ears. First, the Orson case: what made you think the note was a fake?"

Danny took a deep breath and thought back to that morning as he made himself relate the facts with as much professionalism as he could muster. "After we secured the premises I got a brief opportunity to look at the note before Lieutenant Kainoa assigned me to a station. I was stationed by the kitchen door. Next to the door was a phone with several handwritten notes. One had masculine handwriting, but the 's' was curved differently than the other note I had seen. Since there had been no mention of other males in the household I thought that I should bring it to Lieutenant Kainoa's attention."

Chief Dann was unreadable as Danny finished his explanation. "That's a small detail for any officer to pick up on if they're not looking for it."

"I've had some training in document analysis," Danny stated. "The Guard needed someone who could examine ship manifests to see if they were legit."

"And on the raid this afternoon?"

"It just looked out of place."

Kainoa spoke up, "What, no previous experience in electronics?"

Danny felt his cheeks burn at the quip and his voice rose as he shot back, "With all due respect, _sir_, no. But I do having plenty of experience boarding ships carrying contraband and I've learned that finding the little details that look out of place are usually the only hope we have for finding the goods."

Kainoa caught the anger in Danny's voice and held up his hands in mock surrender as he said, "Easy, kid. No one's here to read you the riot act."

Admonished, Danny remained silent. There was something going on here and it was clear that he had no clue what it was.

Chief Dann met Danny's eyes before he began to speak, "Williams, you have an eye for detail and your willingness to bring your observations to your superiors is an asset to this force. Henry has requested that you be assigned to help out the detective unit with an ongoing investigation."

At a loss for words, Danny's mouth opened and closed several times in shock. That had certainly not been what he was expecting, and he had just made a fool of himself for no reason.

Kainoa coughed, bringing the dazed officer back to his senses. "Williams, are you aware of the dramatic raise in car strippings we've had over the past month?"

Still stunned, Danny instinctively fell back on his Coast Guard training. "Yes, Lieutenant."

"The perpetrators are many of the local youth gangs of Honolulu but cracking down on the gangs hasn't yielded any results. This suggests to me that there is a bigger fish running this show. We need to catch that fish to stop the gangs. Understand?"

"Yes," Danny answered slowly. "But I don't understand where I come in."

Kainoa smiled. "You're young, likable, and have good instincts. I want you to infiltrate one of gangs and take up a life of crime. You'll work closely with Officer Lukela in setting up your cover story and receiving any additional training you might need. Once inside you'll report regularly and let us know when you make contact with the fish we want."

Lukela spoke up for the first time. "I want you to understand something first. This isn't going to some quick assignment of a few days or weeks. It could take months for you to work your way into their system and gain the level of trust and access we need. That will be months without access to your family and friends. As far as HPD is concerned you will be off on a training exercise on another island. It will be lonely and it will be stressful and it won't be easy."

Chief Dann continued, "Undercover work is dangerous, Danny. We believe you have the skills to handle it but no one in this room is going to hold it against you if you don't want this assignment."

Danny blinked as the older man's words sunk in; they were serious. So even though his whole being was screaming at him to say yes he said, "Give me a minute."

Undercover work would be unlike anything he had ever done before. Life on a cutter was a structured and you followed your superior's orders without question. If he took this assignment he would be out on his own and he would have to rely on his own judgment. To work in the detective department was Danny's dream but could he mess it up by taking an assignment that was over his head?

Dann and Kainoa obviously didn't think this was outside his abilities or they wouldn't have asked him, and Danny had heard the other officers comment that the department was taking a lot of heat over this case. If he could help, how could he say no?

In the end, Danny knew there was only one answer he could give. "I'm in. What did you want me to do?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: Details **

_Edited by traw_

Detective Kono Kalakaua of Hawaii Five-O walked slowly down an alley looking for evidence that would suggest someone had been doing anything out of the ordinary last night; namely, breaking and entering and stealing thousands of dollars worth of jewelry.

Relatively new to Five-O, Kono was still getting used to Steve barking out difficult to impossible orders with the expectation that he would find the answer yesterday. This time Steve had just ordered him to find out how the thief or thieves had entered the store, a task in which Five-O had no success at with the last theft. Not satisfied with the lack of evidence on the first floor doors or windows, Kono had stepped outside to try and look at the building in a different way. Pacing, Kono thought over the evidence: the front door was found slightly ajar but there were no signs of forced entry. That suggested to him that it had used it at some point. Therefore their thief had to have used a key or got in another way and exited out the front door.

Kono stopped and stared at the side wall, that didn't make sense. Using the front door was dangerous; it made it more likely that they would be seen. No, the door only would have been used if it had been necessary. So want did that suggest? Looking up at the wall, Kono smiled as a likely answer came to him.

Walking briskly into the store, Kono took the stairs to the second floor. Ignoring the rooms with regular windows, Kono explored until he found a bathroom on the alley side. Most windows had good locks that would difficult to break but Kono theorized that the smaller bathroom window would not be as well protected. After examining the window, Kono knew that his hunch was correct and he went to find Che Fong, the forensic examiner.

A few minutes later Kono stood in the small bathroom with Che and McGarrett. Che went to work quickly and after a few minutes spoke up, "There's a few prints on the window but they're all smudged as if your thief was wearing gloves."

Steve looked pensive as he received the report. "No surprise but it still is a help. See if you can find anything else in the room or along the wall he climbed up."

"Will do, Steve," Che answered grabbing his bag and moving to give orders to the lab boys.

Still looking at the window, Kono stated, "Our guy must be really small, boss."

"Or very flexible," Steve mused. He turned and walked into the hallway with Kono at his heels.

When Steve stopped, Kono told him the rest of his theory. "I think one guy entered dis way and let the rest of his partners in through the front door."

"It does fit," Steve agreed. Then patting his detective on the shoulder, he added "Good job."

Kono felt his chest swell with pride. Kono knew that he hadn't been the smartest or most experienced detective in HPD but he liked to think that he was one of the hardest working. Being chosen for Five-O at his young age had been a shock and to hear Steve's approval made him forget about his detractors. Many had warned him about him about McGarrett's unrealistic expectations and Kono himself had wondered if he had been chosen for the job because of his Hawaiian blood. Now that Kono had been with Five-O for a short time, he knew Steve well enough to know that both fears were completely unfounded. And while he agreed that the work was demanding and the hours stunk, he wouldn't give up this job for anything. No, Kono would continue doing the dirty tasks that other officers balked at because he knew that was what needed to get the job done.

"Kono!"

Steve calling his name in a bark-like manner caused Kono to feel a tinge of guilt as he knew that he had allowed his thoughts to wander from the task at hand. "Yeah, boss," he replied sheepishly.

Steve pushed a pile of papers describing the stolen jewelry into his hands. "Take this over to HPD and get them on the hot list."

Kono nodded and headed out the door. There was one thing he could say about this job: he was never bored.

* * *

Several days later, Danny Williams was still waiting for someone to walk up to him and tell him that this was a joke. But that was looking less and less likely as he sat in front of Duke's desk in a raggedly old tee-shirt and holey jeans ready to be loosed into the streets.

The past few days had been busy as Duke had a seemingly endless supply of information to impart. Danny learned how to strip a car, pick a lock, and a couple of other skills that he might need on the streets. He memorized his new background and was drilled until he could recite it back perfectly. Danny studied until he understood the lines he could and could not cross as a young thief and most importantly set up ways he would be able to keep in contact with HPD after he joined a gang. Luckily, Duke was a patient teacher as he didn't get upset whenever Danny struggled.

At this moment Duke appeared to be relaxed and jovial; he was more like a companion than a superior. However Danny knew that Duke could flip a switch in an instant and drill him on another aspect of his cover.

"I've talked with Kainoa and he thinks you're ready." Duke said. "So I want you to meet the other Steve."

Danny blinked a few times not sure that he had heard the Hawaiian officer correctly. "The other Steve?" he asked.

Duke laughed. "I forgot, you wouldn't know. Have you had the chance to meet Steve McGarrett?"

"No."

"But you have heard of him?"

Danny forced himself not to respond with laughter; McGarrett was only the top law enforcement official in the state. "Kind of hard not to."

"Well, I assuming you've heard the stories too?"

Danny nodded; he wasn't sure if he believed them though.

"I think then you can understand that there is only one Steve in Hawaiian law enforcement and that's McGarrett."

Beginning to catch on, Danny ventured a guess. "But he's not the only Steve on the force…"

"Exactly but since anytime someone says Steve everyone assumes its McGarrett, Officer Steve O'Donnell became known as the other Steve. And as of today he's your Uncle - Steve Burken."

Steve Burken, his uncle. Now Danny was on familiar territory as he recalled the list of family names he was forced to remember and recite.

Duke's facial expressions shifted slightly and Danny braced himself for the inventible series of questions.

"How did you end up living with your uncle?"

"What'd you care, anyway?" Danny shot back as slouched in the chair and tried to convey the surly attitude of rebellious teenager. Duke had driven home the point that it wasn't good enough for him to just say the right words; it would be his actions, his body language, and his attitude more than his words that would determine success or failure.

"I asked you a question."

Danny shrugged as if answering had been his intention all along. "My gran thinks living with a man will straighten me out, like I've got a problem or something."

"What does she think your problem is?"

"Something about finishing school. Like I'd actually learn something from those squares."

"And you learn useful things hanging around the streets?"

Danny rolled his eyes. "Like you'd want to know."

Duke remained serious for a moment before letting out a small grin. "Young, arrogant, and suspicious of the world. Keep that persona and you'll get in."

"Thanks," Danny replied, letting his persona drop. "I'll bet that's the last time I get complemented for talking back to my superior officer."

"Most likely." Duke rose and walked around to the front of his desk. "How do you feel about this?"

"A little nervous," Danny admitted. "I never imagined that my boss would order me to take up a life a crime."

"It's amazing the things that aren't in the job description," Duke joked before becoming serious again. "One last piece of advice before you go. Watch your temper."

Danny became embarrassed as he realized that Duke was referring to his outburst in the Chief's office but listened because he trusted that the older officer would only have brought it up if it was important.

"I'm going to be honest with you. If you manage to infiltrate a gang every moment of your day is going to be stressful; you'll be living a lie, hiding behind a mask and a persona that isn't you. It's enough to put anyone's temper on edge but you can't let the stress get to you. If you do, the best thing that could happen is you lose your cover and we have to start over. The worst is they believe that you know too much and HPD finds your body in the back of alley somewhere. Understand?"

Danny took Duke's words to heart. "Yes, sir," he whispered.

Duke hated having to scare the younger officer but it was necessary; rookies tended to think that they were invincible and that attitude would be a deadly one undercover. Besides, Duke was growing fond of Williams; the last thing he wanted was for him to get hurt. Slapping Danny gently on the shoulder, he ordered, "Let's go meet your uncle. It's move-in day."

* * *

Steve McGarrett took a sip of coffee as he pondered the piles of reports from the lab crew and his detectives. He definitely had a puzzle on his hands if he was going to catch these thieves before they fled the islands but he never would have worked for Naval Intelligence and now Five-O without having an inquisitive nature that enjoyed a good challenge. The problem was on cases like this one it was the "good guys" who were making life difficult.

The business owners in Waikiki had power because of the revenue they brought to the state by catering to the tourists. So they complained loudly believing that it would somehow make Five-O solve the case faster. These complaints were all too happily picked up by the press that would do anything for a good story and seemed to think that they were deserving of the latest scoop, regardless of whether Steve was prepared to release new information or not. Meanwhile, the bad press made its way to the ears of the governor who was worried about effect of the crimes on tourism. And to top it all off, Steve's gut told him that the thieves weren't done yet.

It was enough to make him wonder why he kept at this job year after year.

"Steve."

Steve looked up and saw his second-in-command standing in the open doorway with a stack of papers in his hands. As Ralph walked up to the desk, Steve moved the papers around to make room for another large pile.

"The files on thieves who fit our MO," Ralph stated as he sat the stack down.

"This everything the computer came up with?" Steve asked as shuffled through the papers.

Ralph raised one eyebrow. "Not big enough for you?"

"You know that I'm suspicious of anything that happens too easily.

"I know. It drives Chin nuts," Ralph said with a chuckle as he walked out the door.

Steve privately smiled; if he was honest with himself he didn't have to think too hard about why he kept at his job, his men made it worth it.

Ralph Irons was his Second-In-Command and the former head of HPD's detective unit. The older man was on the smaller side and it was his size, along with his white hair and other signs of age, which caused many criminals to mistakenly believe they could easily overpower the detective. His personality, however, was large enough to fill his whole office as Ralph was one of those people who genuinely liked others. He had a gift for understanding people and a presence that would put others at ease. As a result, in the early days of Five-O, Ralph's unofficial job was smoothing over the hurt feelings that resulted as a consequence of Steve's brisk and blunt way of doings things. Now that people were beginning to see that Steve's way of doing things brought results, Ralph's job became easier. Regardless, Ralph was someone Steve could and did consistently depend on.

Chin Ho Kelly was the second member of his team. The Chinese detective was tenacious and detail-oriented with contacts all over the islands due to his large extended family. Not to be outdone by his relatives, Chin had a growing family of his own with five kids and a sixth on the way.

Kono Kalakaua was the newest detective on Five-O, having joined the team a little over a month ago. Dedicated and loyal, the Hawaiian's laid back and easy going nature hid an intelligence that Steve counted on their enemies to overlook.

"Steve."

Steve turned toward the open office door and saw that this time it was his secretary standing there looking at him, her arms crossed and head titled to side.

"Yes, May."

"Its 12:30; the time most people put down the paperwork and grab something to eat."

Steve resisted shaking his head in response to May's statement. She had been his secretary ever since Five-O was formed and she was the force that kept the office running. Organized and observant, her only flaw was that she was overly concerned about his eating habits. Grabbing his suit jacket, Steve privately admitted that while May's nagging could get annoying, he figured that once in awhile it was a good idea to follow her advice.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: The Good Guys Can Plot Too **

_Edited by traw_

Danny leaned nonchalantly against the brick wall of one of the many small shops in downtown Honolulu. Holding a lit cigarette in one hand, Danny looked and felt like a juvenile delinquent as he searched the street for his targets.

Kainoa and Lukela had given him very specific instructions about he was to do and who they wanted him to befriend. His target was a small gang run by a seventeen year old Hawaiian kid named Josh Kaiko Kikeona. Kikeona had a long history with HPD but so far they had been unable to find solid evidence to connect him to the car strippings. They did have some circumstantial evidence, however, that suggested that Kikeona was involved. Duke told him that a previous member of Kikeona's gang had broken off and formed a gang of his own and several members of that gang had been caught possessing hot car parts. The theory was that if Kikeona was short a member he would be on the lookout for a replacement.

Half a block down on the other side of the street, Danny spotted two of the punks that he was supposed to meet. The skinny Hawaiian kid who looked like he needed another growth spurt was Kikeona. Standing next to him was a part-Hawaiian, part-Chinese kid named Johnny Pouha.

Continuing to smoke his cigarette, Danny did nothing more than occasionally glance in that direction. His goal was to be seen so that the local gang would notice that he had moved into the neighborhood. Danny was so focused on trying to appear natural that he almost missed the third and youngest member of Kikeona's gang coming up behind him.

"Can I have a light?"

Danny turned and saw the fifteen year old D.J. Harden. Harden was about Danny's height and build but with shoulder length beach blond hair and brown eyes. According to Duke, Harden met Kikeona while the two were serving time at Juvenile Hall and have been inseparable ever since. Reaching into his pocket, Danny remained silent and tossed the kid his lighter.

"Thanks." Harden said leaning against the wall beside him. "I haven't seen you before. Where you from?"

"Waialua."

"Here to stay?"

"That's what they tell me."

The kid gave a short laugh, almost like a bark. "D.J. Harden, you?"

"Danny Burken."

Harden handed the lighter back. "Guess I'll be seeing you around."

Danny nodded in response and watched Harden walk down the busy sidewalk. After he was out of sight, Danny acted like the visit had never happened but let his eyes swept the street until he spotted a casually dressed Duke Lukela reading a newspaper. Duke caught his eye, showing that he noticed the exchange. Leaning back against the wall, Danny waited until his cigarette burned down to a stub and, flicking it to the ground, walked back to his new home.

Danny had only officially been on this case for a few days but he had already decided serving undercover wasn't as glamorous and exciting as he imagined it to be. In preparation for this case, Danny had equated being undercover to being a spy. As a teenager he had enjoyed reading Ian Fleming's Bond novels and, while he did realize that those stories were works of fiction, he hadn't imagined that the real thing could be so boring. Loitering on the streets for three days hoping to be noticed hadn't been his idea of a fun time. Danny hoped that things would pick up now that he had made contact with the gang but he suspected that he'd have to wait several more days before he could make another move.

Danny tried to tell himself that boredom was a good thing because the easiest way to get some excitement would be for him to break his cover. He needed to remember to be patient; excitement would come soon enough if everything went according to plan. However, if Danny would honest with himself he would have to admit that it was easier to complain about boredom than it was to admit that he was still rather nervous about how he would act if he managed to join Kikeona's gang.

Reaching the apartment that was serving as his home during this assignment, Danny ignored the man sitting on the couch and walked into kitchen. Grabbing a soda from the fridge, he looked briefly at the beer on the self disliking the fact that he was now technically underage and his 'uncle' would be sure to say something if he had a drink.

When he had meet the man Duke called the other Steve, Danny had immediately liked him. Officer Steve O'Donnell was a career officer who was content spending his days out on patrol. Known around the force as a family man, Danny wondered how excited his new partner would be for this assignment but Steve had said he liked the deal. Apparently, whenever O'Donnell was supposedly out of the apartment for work he was allowed to go home and play with his three kids who enjoyed having Dad home during the day.

When Danny walked out of the kitchen, the slightly overweight cop shifted his position on the couch to turn around and look at him. "How was your day?"

Danny replied with a noncommittal grunt. It wasn't that he trying to be rude it was just that Steve had told him in no uncertain terms was he to drop his cover unless he was told to, even in the seclusion of their small apartment. Danny suspected that he was still being tested and he didn't let it bother him; this was his first time undercover and how could he insist on HPD showing absolute confidence in him when he wasn't entirely confident in himself?

Maintaining his silence, Danny retreated to his room. They said practice makes perfect and Danny hoped they were right because he feared that he was going to have to be perfect to pull this off.

* * *

Duke walked briskly through the halls of the police department until reached the set of offices reserved for the detective unit. Henry was waiting for an update and Duke was happy that he would be able to report some progress. If things kept moving along at this pace, Duke was hopeful that Danny might be invited to help out the gang by the end of week.

When Duke reached the open office door, the older detective looked up and spoke first, "How's Williams?"

"Fine. He's met Harden and I saw Kikeona watching him; we're moving forward slowly."

"Sounds like it's time to speed things up."

Duke blinked his eyes a few times in surprise; his boss's statement went against all of instincts. One didn't rush undercover assignments but Henry's statement had been sure. Curious and cautious, Duke asked, "How are we going to do that?"

"By convincing Kikeona that he can trust Danny Burken."

"Won't he get suspicious?"

"Not if we play our cards right." Grinning mischievously, Henry looked the surprised officer in the eye. "Duke, didn't they teach you that the good guys can plot too?"

* * *

Danny walked slowly down the pavement, trying to look no different than he had any other day. The problem was he knew that today would be different, today would the day that he convinced Kikeona to trust him or he went back to doing patrols in a squad car. Danny fought back the urge to check the time for he knew that would be extremely out of character; Danny Burken did things at his own pace and certainly didn't wear a watch! _Breathe_, Danny ordered himself. He had to remain calm, natural…

When he reached the front of small café, Danny stopped and leaned against the cool windowpane just to the left of the front door. Taking out a cigarette, he slowly lit it, willing his hands not to shake. _Any time now_, he thought to himself.

Raised voices several blocks down told Danny that the plan was underway. Danny couldn't see what was happening, that was by design, but he knew that right now an HPD man was currently questioning D.J. Harden. With this knowledge a subtle change passed over Danny's features and the nerves stopped and his instincts took over. He would do what he had to do.

A startled shout and the sight of a teenager running toward Danny meant that step one had been successful; Harden had been spooked into splitting. As D.J. ran past, Danny swiftly reached out and grabbed his arm. "In here," he hissed, jerking his head toward the café door. The young punk jumped back in shock at Danny's touch but he recovered instantly and followed Danny's suggestion.

Five seconds after the café door shut, Danny saw an older, huffing and puffing cop retracing Harden's path; Kainoa really stacked the deck in their favor for there was no way this man would ever have been able to keep up with Harden.

The officer stopped a few feet short of where he was standing. "Hey, you," he called out, looking straight at Danny.

Danny pretended that he didn't know who the officer was addressing and kept smoking. The officer took a couple of steps closer and stated firmly, "I'm talking to you, kid."

"Yeah," Danny said as he flicked his cigarette to the sidewalk.

"Did a kid with blond hair and a red shirt run this way?"

Danny shrugged. "Don't know. I didn't see anyone."

The officer growled and started moving further down the sidewalk; he never even glanced inside the store Harden had ducked into. After the cop was out of sight, Danny waited a minute and then turned and looked into the building.

"D.J.'s not there."

Whirling around, Danny saw standing beside him the person this act had been played out for. Danny knew Kikeona was short but he hadn't realized how short until he stood next to him and saw that he had several inches on the teenager and he would never be confused as someone who was tall! The Hawaiian punk was smirking, seemingly happy that he managed to catch him by surprise. Danny didn't like the fact that Kikeona mentioned to sneak up him but shrugged it off as the more important thing was the fact that he was standing there talking to him. "Doesn't matter to me," Danny replied in answer to the punk's statement."

Still smirking, the punk kept pushing. "Whaddya help D.J. out for then."

"I don't like fuzz."

The Hawaiian laughed. "Good reason, Bruddah."

Deciding it was time to start pushing back, Danny asked, "And you are?"

"Kaiko. D.J.'s a friend of mine."

It didn't pass Danny attention that Kaiko only introduced himself with one name, and it was his middle name, nor the fact that he didn't inquire about Danny's own name. But those were details Danny filed away in his mind as he kept the conversion going. "What'd your friend do to get the cops on him?"

"Nothin', da fuzz was fishing…" Kaiko's words drifted off as an idea came into his head. "Ya don't like fuzz?"

Danny shifted his stance so he was looking directly at Kaiko. "That's what I said."

"Wanna get dem back?"

"Depends, I don't want to go to no prison neither."

Kaiko grinned. "Follow me," he called out as he started walking down the street.

Danny remained where he was. "Where?"

Looking back over his shoulder, Kaiko gave Danny a challenging look. "What, ya got nothin' bettah to do?"

"Fine," Danny conceded, "but you better not be wasting my time."

As Danny followed Kaiko through the crowd he remained silent and forced himself not to get too excited. He may have passed one test but he still had a long way to go.

When they were several streets away from where started the two of them ducked into a parking garage and Kaiko led Danny up to a battered light blue van. A tall teenager was leaning against the hood. Danny recognized the figure as Pouha for the kid had the light brown skin of a Hawaiian but his black hair fell across oriental eyes. Those eyes noticed them approach as Danny felt the kid's inquisitive glaze on him.

Kaiko broke the silence as he jogged up to the other punk. "Where's D.J."

"Went home. He thought it'd be better to lay low for the day."

"Good." Kaiko turned toward Danny who was standing off to side. "Danny, dis is Johnny."

Danny nodded to show that he heard and waited for Kaiko to continue. "You wanna get back at da cops den get in da van. If not, I'll see ya around."

Danny breathed out slowly; he was seeking a balance between a kid who didn't trust easily and one who had a certain sense of adventure. "Why don't you tell why I'm here and then I decide whether to get in the van or not."

Kaiko appeared to consider his reply before he ventured, "You heard about what's got da fuzz riled up?"

"Yeah," Danny answered cautiously.

"I ain't been caught yet and I ain't gonna be. Stick with Kiako and ya can join da fun."

"I ain't never stripped a car before," Danny said. _At least outside of HPD's garage. _

"Dat's no problem. You in?"

"I'm in."

"Great."

Kaiko slapped the side of the van before opening the passenger side door and jumping in. "Come on, Johnny. Let's go pay Robin a visit."

"He's not going to be happy to see you," Johnny stated.

"Tough. Besides, da old man's greed will get da best of him."

As Johnny got in the driver's seat, Danny jumped in the back and was surprised to see that there was no seat for him; they all had been taken out of the van. Now, he knew how the parts were moved away from the scene of the crime. Settling down on the floor, Danny made sure he could watch where they were going out the front window.

Having spent most of his life on Oahu, Danny had no trouble following where they were going but he was slightly surprised to see that they were headed toward Sherwood Forest; one of reasons he had been given this assignment was HPD was pretty certain that the thieves were not operating out of there.

When the van parked, Danny stepped out into a small clearing that was obviously a temporary chop shop. Car parts littered the grass and a couple of other cars waited to be taken apart. However, the place looked really quiet in comparison with the number of thefts that were occurring recently.

A fat, short man came waddling up to their van, wagging his finger at Kaiko. "Hey, you! What are you doing around here? You don't ever bring me business no more."

Danny quickly reassessed his thinking maybe they weren't working out of Sherwood Forest after all.

Kaiko didn't fazed by the man's words. He spread his hands and shot back. "What can I say? Ya pay pennies brah, Haku pays dollars."

"Those dollars are going to dry up some day and when they do, you see if I let you punks sell your stuff around here."

"Look man, I can see ya got two sedans back there waiting for someone to relieve dem of their parts and I got dis friend who needs some practice. We'd be doin' each other a favor."

"What it's worth to you?"

Kaiko turned toward Johnny who handed the man a car radio. The overweight man thought it over as he turned the radio around in his hands. "Deal. But if the kid can't do it, make sure you finish the job."

"Mahalo, brah." Turning back, "Come on, Danny."

"Kaiko! When Haku leaves town you remember to bring your goods to me."

Danny followed Kaiko toward the first of the sedans and looked the car over until Kaiko placed a long piece of metal in his hand. Looking the tool, Danny pretended to be skeptical. "A wrench? You want me to take this wreck apart with just a wrench?"

"Think ya can't do it?" Kaiko shot back, the smirk back on his face.

That smirk, Danny decided, was going to drive him nuts by the end of this assignment as he tightened his grip on the long wrench and walked up the front right tire.

"No. Tires last. You'll make your job harder if you do dem first. Start with da hood…"

And so it went. Kaiko called out directions and Danny followed them. It went slowly at first but Danny let himself pick up speed as he decided to appear more comfortable with the work. After the first car was in pieces, he worked in tandem with Kaiko and Johnny on the second vehicle to get used to how they'd work as a team on a real job.

"Mo' bettah," Kaiko said as they finished up the last car. Then leaving the parts where they were the three of them got back in the van and Johnny drove back to Honolulu.

During the drive, Kaiko took the opportunity to question Danny. Danny slowly gave the Hawaiian his cover story and managed to learn a few things in return. The van eventually pulled up next to a small run down shack along side of the beach. Seeing D.J. come out of the shack as they got out of the van made Danny realize that this must be the home Johnny had mentioned earlier. The trick they had pulled really had convinced Kaiko to trust him.

D.J. walked up and slapped Danny on the shoulder. "Thanks for helping me out back there."

"No problem," Danny replied.

D.J. turned toward Kaiko. "He joining us tonight?"

"Yeah. Danny, ya need a ride home or ya good?"

Danny thought over the offer; it would be a twenty minute walk but it would be worth it to get a better grasp of the area. "I'll walk."

"Alright, meet us here tonight at one. Think ya can ditch your uncle?"

"Easy. I'll be here."

After trading goodbyes, Danny started walking toward downtown running over the events of the past few hours in his head. He had been skeptical at first of Kainoa's plan but it had succeeded beyond what any of them had imagined. He would join the gang on a theft tonight, he knew where they were staying, and he had the name of Kaiko's buyer: Haku.

It had been a long day and was going to be a longer night, Danny wondered if it would be out of character once he reached the apartment to take a nap. And to think that yesterday he was complaining that this job was boring.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: The Life of a Thief**

_Edited by traw_

Danny never got that nap. In fact, he had barely gotten a moment to catch his breath for as soon as he walked in the apartment door the other Steve called HPD and Danny was forced to give an extremely detailed account of his afternoon. They had only stopped when they realized that it was getting late and Danny still needed to grab something to eat. Afterwards, Duke left and Danny got ready for bed so he could sneak out once his "uncle" was asleep. The time to leave came all too quickly as Danny opened his bedroom window and climbed out onto the lanai. Moving quickly, Danny walked over to a corner and climbed down a pillar. Once safely on the ground, Danny looked up at the way he came; he should be able to easily sneak back in the way he exited. Step one complete.

Danny started walking briskly through the streets toward his destination. The night was dark but the city lights illuminated his path. As he approached the shack Danny thought he saw a figure watching him from a distance. He resisted the urge to look because if it was one Kaiko's gang it meant that they being were careful, making sure he came alone.

Danny turned the corner and saw Kaiko leaning the side of the van. "Ya ready?" Kaiko called out as Danny approached.

"Yeah," Danny replied.

"Great. Just waitin' for D.J.."

Danny didn't answer, he just walked up until he stood he stood beside Kaiko. He spotted Johnny sitting in driver's seat drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. He didn't have to wait long as he spotted D.J. jogging toward them from the direction Danny had seen a figure earlier; they had been watching him.

When D.J. arrived Kaiko asked, "We good?"

"All set," the young punk replied.

Danny caught the undertones the conversation between the two gang members and took the warning to heart. Kaiko might trust him enough to bring him along on a theft but it didn't mean he trusted him completely. And this meant that Danny would have to be extra careful so Kaiko didn't start to regret his decision.

Johnny poked his head out the driver's side window. "Are you gonna stand there all night or are you gonna get in the van?"

"Start driving, it won't make no difference," D.J. joked. "You drive slower than a turtle. We'd beat you there walkin'."

Johnny responded by gunning the engine and the rest of the gang laughed as they climbed into the van. Danny sat down on floor and Kaiko sat down beside him. As Johnny drove toward downtown, Kaiko turned to Danny. "Remember how ya did da last car?"

Danny nodded; he was starting to get nervous and didn't trust himself to speak.

"Ya take da right side, D.J. got da left. Put the da parts behind ya and Johnny will put dem in da van. Trouble comes go to da van. Johnny's not gonna wait for ya."

"Right," Danny said trying to sound a lot more confident than he felt.

Kaiko saw right through his false bravo and slapped him on the shoulder. "Ya be fine, brah."

Danny mentally admonished himself; he couldn't afford to let his emotions be that transparent. Luckily Kaiko wasn't turned off by his nerves but he would have to do better if he was going to get the information HPD needed.

"Kaiko," Johnny called. "See anything you like?"

Kaiko turned so he was kneeling behind the front seats, his hands resting on the cushions. After a few moments he ordered, "Slow down. Dat one on da left."

Danny felt the van turn and come to a complete stop. He brought his feet under him, ready to jump into action. The time for practice was over, the game had begun.

_Okay, Williams, don't mess this up!_

Kaiko opened the side door and Danny followed him out onto the pavement. They were in the middle of a large parking lot. While it was not full there were cars scattered throughout the lot to provide them with some cover. Kaiko moved quickly, gesturing toward a white sedan. "Da Pontiac, dat's da car we want."

Moving swiftly and silently, Danny, Kaiko, and D.J. approached the hood of the car. Kaiko popped the hood and Danny and D.J. each took a wrench and started removing the bolts holding it to the car. Sweat dripped down Danny's forehead as he worked but he was pleased to see that he finished his part only a few seconds after D.J. The hood free, they placed it on the pavement where Johnny would grab it.

His first job was complete so Danny let Kaiko continue on the front of the car while he concentrated on the right side of car. He removed pieces of metal and the doors while D.J. did the same on the other side. Time slowed as Danny worked and he lost himself in the turning of the wrench.

D.J. already had gotten the trunk off before Danny joined him in removing the rear lights and bumper. Kaiko was now inside the car and had already removed the steering wheel and dashboard and was working on the radio when Danny moved to remove the rear seats. Once the seats were out, they finished up with the tires and hubcaps as Johnny moved constantly, loading the parts into the van.

The whole process took about seven minutes.

If the other gangs were as efficient as Kaiko's, Danny now understood why HPD was having so much trouble stopping the thefts.

Grabbing the last tire, Danny jogged toward the van and jumped inside. The others followed as the door slide shut behind him and Johnny started the engine. The tension and silence disappeared as Kaiko let out a loud whoop as the van sped away from the scene of the crime. Danny smiled and joined in the cheers. He had done it!

Kaiko sprawled across one the stolen seats and Danny decided to follow his example for the parts left no room for him on the floor. "Ya did good for da first time, Bruddah."

"Mahalo, brah. It was fun."

Kaiko smirked. "Da best part is da fuzz don't know what hit dem."

"Yeah," Danny agreed. When Kaiko didn't respond Danny asked, "What's next?"

"Ya wanna do mo'?"

Danny shrugged, "Why not?"

"Tomorrow," Kaiko replied as the van came to halt. Danny looked out the window and was surprised to see that they had returned to the shack. He didn't say anything as he noticed D.J. and Johnny getting out of the van so he followed them. Kaiko jumped out and then quickly took Johnny's place in the driver's seat. Danny could only watch as Kaiko drove off in the van with all the stolen parts, alone.

Johnny had already started walking toward the shack so Danny turned to D.J. and asked, "What's happening?"

"Kaiko goin' to sell the goods. Don't worry, he won't cheat you."

Getting cheated out of his share of the profits wasn't Danny's concern; his concern was about being unable to find out who Kaiko sold those parts to. He wasn't surprised that he wasn't let in on the secret the first night but he was surprised that no else went with Kaiko. If this was the usual mode of operation then things didn't look as promising as they did a few hours ago.

With nothing else to do, Danny entered the shack, grabbed a coke, and spent the time getting to know D.J. and Johnny better. D.J. was talkative and was more than happy to join in conversation while Johnny was quieter, only contributing occasionally. Danny didn't take Johnny's reserve as a sign that he didn't like him but instead realized that it was just part of the punk's nature.

Danny also took the time to better study his surroundings. They were seated around a small wooden table but the chairs were wooden crates. The room he was in took up half of the shack and he noticed two sheet draped doorways. The place was old and the floor was rotting but amazingly there was a working light bulb and a small fridge; Danny was curious to know how they paid the electric bill. Overall, it was about the best of what one would expect out of three teenage boys.

It was a little less than an hour later before Kaiko returned and set a stack of money on the table. As Danny looked at the amount he couldn't help but let the shock show on his face. If his information was correct this about ten percent more than they could get taking the car to a chop shop. No wonder there had been a dramatic raise in car strippings in Honolulu; someone was throwing around a lot of money!

Taking advantage of his slip, Danny whistled. "Man, I didn't know this stuff was worth this much. What's the guy doing with it?"

"Don't know. Send da goods to da mainland, probably"

Danny didn't need a cop's instincts to know that Kaiko was lying and that surprised him. By all calculations, Kaiko should be a small piece of a larger puzzle; he should know who the buyer is and how to contact that buyer but definitely not the buyers' plans. However, Danny Burken would have no idea that Kaiko was lying so he didn't press the issue.

After Danny received his share of the take he figured that he wouldn't learn more tonight. "I gotta go. Meet you tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Kaiko said as he continued to divide up the money. "Swing by when ya can."

* * *

It was turning out to be another long day in the office as Steve stood next to his bulletin board, coffee cup in hand, trading ideas with his second-in-command. He and Ralph had had spent several days narrowing down the computer list of thieves with similar MOs down to ten possible suspects: one local, several from the mainland, and a pair of twins from Japan.

Tapping his finger on one flyer, Steve mused, "Only one small enough to fit through that window."

Ralph shook his head. "Not him, Steve. I just got off the phone with his parole officer. He talked with him yesterday and guarantees that he hasn't left Illinois."

Make that nine suspects. Of course that was assuming that their thief was someone the law enforcement community was aware of, which was why Steve had Chin and Kono working on the other angle.

Steve heard the buzzer from the phone on his desk go off and he walked over and hit the speaker button. "Yes, May."

"I have Chief Parker of Hilo PD on the line."

"Patch him through. Aloha, Erik. What's the problem?"

"Aloha to you too, Steve. Someone helped a tourist out a walk out a fourth story window."

"Sounds like you guys are making progress already. What do you need us for?"

"The guy's rich, some B list actor from Hollywood. I already have my hands full keeping the press away."

Steve groaned; this was the last thing they needed another high profile case, even if it was cut and dry. "I hear you. I'll send someone over this afternoon."

"Thanks, Steve."

Ending the phone call, Steve looked up at his second-in-command. "Sorry, Ralph."

"I know, pack a bag."

"Make it as fast if you can. Chin's wife is due any day now and I'd prefer not to be down two men."

* * *

The days passed quickly as Danny was now spending most of his time with Kaiko, D.J., and Johnny. Each day they would walk around town or hang out at the beach. Each night he would sneak out and join them on another theft. With each moment that passed was Danny growing more comfortable in his role as a teenage punk and was becoming closer to the gang. That closeness was probably the hardest part of this assignment; Danny had to become friends with people that he couldn't actually be friends with. So while his relationships with the gang had every appearance of growing friendships it had to be fake from his end.

Danny tried to not let his conscience bother too much; this was an assignment and Kaiko and the others were committing criminal acts. It was just hard to play the double role.

When Danny returned to the apartment he found Steve O'Donnell in the kitchen, washing dishes. The older man looked back over his shoulder when he heard Danny enter the kitchen. "You missed dinner."

"So?" Danny shot back in the defiant tone of a teenager.

"It'd be nice to see my nephew once in awhile."

"I found some friends," Danny said as he searched in the fridge for leftovers. "I would have thought you'd be happy for me."

Steve's tone of voice changed as he replied. "According to Duke, your friends have been keeping you busy."

Danny turned around and smiled, happy for the chance to drop his cover. "Yeah, they have been. But I'm nowhere close to learning what I need to."

"These things take time, Danny."

"I know," Danny said as he sat down in a kitchen chair. "It's just frustrating."

"Patience. Sooner or later Kikeona will let something slip or he'll take you along."

Danny shook his head. "I'm not so sure. I think our best chance is for someone to follow Kaiko to wherever he sells the goods after he drops us off. If he doesn't take D.J. or Johnny along he's not going to take me."

"Danny, the streets are empty at three in the morning. If Kikeona is being as careful as you say he is, he'll spot a tail easy."

Danny conceded that Steve was probably right. "It just doesn't make sense. They make enough bread, I mean money, to support themselves but it's still a small time operation. So why the large operation type secrecy?"

"I can't answer that but I know who can figure it out."

"Yeah, I know," Danny replied sheepishly. _Me._

Steve was right; this was his job, his assignment. On the surface Kaiko Kikeona was everything HPD said he would be: a street-smart punk who is gifted at stripping cars. But underneath that surface was something else…

Danny just had to figure out what it was.


	6. Chapter 6

_AN: Sorry for the long wait. Moving cross-country and the start of another school year made me busier than I thought I'd be. Hopefully, things have now calmed down to normal. And as always thanks to traw making sure my i's are dotted and my t's are crossed._

**Chapter Six: Risks and Rewards**

Danny never thought that it would be this easy to fall into the role of a small time punk and thief, but after a week of sneaking around Honolulu and helping his new found friends strip cars it was like he had been doing this years.

So when their van came to a stop in a secluded parking lot, Danny leapt out of van and starting moving toward the Ford Falcon that he knew was their target. But as he crept quietly towards the car, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up; something wasn't right. Stopping, Danny looked around the parking lot quickly but with the critical eye of a cop; it was too quiet, too secluded for a place downtown. It was almost if the car was just waiting for someone to strip it.

It took Danny all of two seconds to realize to think of a reason why; it was inconceivable that the rest of HPD would just sit around and hope that he learned the information that they needed, especially when it wasn't known around the force that he was undercover. Reaching over and grabbing Kaiko's wrist, Danny hissed, "Kaiko. Something isn't right. It's way too quiet."

"Ya seein' things," the Hawaiian shot back in disbelief.

"No," Danny kept pressing. "The fuzz is getting desperate. Look, have you ever had a setup this good?"

Kaiko appeared to consider his words as he chewed his lower lip. "Fine. Ya worried, ya keep watch."

Danny nodded his assent and walked quickly toward the street. He would have preferred to leave but he knew Kaiko wasn't going to budge any more than he had. He just hoped that he was wrong and that he hadn't just walked into an HPD trap because if they were caught the game would be over.

Danny found a position where he could hide in the shadows but still have perfect view of the parking lot and the street beside it. Apprehensive, Danny took up his silent watch. However, as the minutes passed by, Danny began to doubt his decision. If he had helped they would be almost finished by now. But as soon as that thought crossed his mind, Danny saw two uniformed HPD patrolmen walk around the corner and they were coming straight towards him!

Danny had zero time to think things over because he knew that in the time it would take him to quietly warn the others the officers would have a clear view of the gang and what they were doing. However, if he did nothing the result would be the same.

A wild idea crossed his mind and Danny immediately stumbled out of the shadows. He walked erratically up to the patrolmen, making it look like he was barely able to move without falling down.

"Officersss!" Danny cried out loudly as he approached them. "Officersss, you wouldn't…you wouldn't believe… A wino took my beer." Danny blinked and stumbled back, he couldn't let the patrolmen notice that he didn't smell of alcohol. "No, winos drink wine. A bum stole my beer. You ssshould be assshamed. Bum stole my beer."

The patrolmen gave each other an exasperated look. The one the left spoke to him, "Look kid, I don't think you need another beer."

"Sssome help you are," Danny said as he turned around and staggered back toward the parking lot and kept going down the sidewalk. Danny heard the officers follow him and hoped they'd notice the stripped car or he'd have to take part in an embarrassing conversation that he'd rather avoid.

"Rick, the car!"

Danny heard Rick swear and two sets of feet jog off. Unable to contain his curiosity, Danny sneaked a glance at the parking lot. Immediately, he was impressed. Kaiko had heard him but the gang hadn't tried to run. They just loaded all the parts into the van and shut the doors, making it look like the thieves had finished and left all while they sat safely in the dark van. Meanwhile, the officers just noticed the stripped car and forgot that there wasn't a blue van there earlier.

One of cops started to put things together and called out, "Wait a minute. That kid."

_Not good,_ Danny thought to himself as he took off running. He turned at the first side street he came to, hoping to shake off pursuit but he wasn't that lucky. Off to his left, Danny spotted an empty lot with a chain fence on the other side. He knew he could quickly climb the fence and he was willing to risk that the patrolmen wouldn't be able to follow him or at least do so quickly.

As his feet pounded across the rocky ground, Danny saw a familiar van swerve around a street corner and come to a stop on the other side of the fence. Kaiko came after him! Danny couldn't believe it but he wasn't one to turn down an unexpected blessing.

"We got get out of here!" Johnny hollered at him as he drew nearer.

Danny didn't answer as he jumped up, grabbed the chain links of the fence and started to haul himself over the top.

"Stop, police!"

"Oh, no!" D.J. yelled.

"Danno, watch out!" Kaiko screamed.

Danny reached the top of the fence as he heard the shouted warnings. He managed to throw himself to the ground just as he heard a gun fire. They were shooting! They shouldn't be shooting! He should freeze…

"Danno! In!"

Kaiko's shouted order shook Danny out of his indecision. Danny dove for the van's open door and as soon as he hit the floor he felt the van swerve and speed off. He griped the floor with his fingers willing his heartbeat to slow down; that was way too close. Why had they started shooting? He could have been killed! Danny knew that was lucky that he had thrown himself to the ground when he heard Kaiko's shout. And, speaking of that shout, did he really hear Kaiko call him Danno?

"That was crazy," D.J. said slapping him on the shoulder.

"Easy, D.J.," Kaiko ordered as he helped Danny sit up. "Danno, you really showed da fuzz."

Danny hadn't heard wrong. Did he dare bring it up? Did he have any choice? Sending Kaiko an inquiring look, he asked, "Danno?"

Kaiko shrugged. "It just came out, ya know Bruddah? It sounds bettah den Danny."

Danny wasn't so sure that it sounded better than his own name but he wasn't going to protest. "Yeah, I do kind of like it," he lied. Then noticing that the van wasn't headed in the usual direction he asked, "Where are we going?"

"Pearl City. I know a place we can lay low for da night."

* * *

Duke walked quickly toward Henry Kainoa's office; Henry had left him a hurried message this morning to check up on Williams but he hadn't been able to contact the rookie officer. Figuring Henry knew something he didn't, Duke couldn't help but worry. He walked straight into the office and when Henry looked up Duke said, "O'Donnell said Danny never came in last night and Williams hasn't left any messages by other means." The troubled look on his boss's face confirmed Duke's fears. "You're concerned."

Henry spoke softly, "Last night a couple of patrolmen run into a group of four kids with a van."

"Sounds like Danny's gang."

"Shots were fired."

Silence greeted that comment. They both didn't have to state their worries.

Henry continued, "If you see Danny and he's hurt. I don't care what he says, bring him in."

Duke nodded; some things weren't worth the risk. "And if he's unharmed?"

"We'll play it by ear but if Williams is willing I don't think we have a choice to keep pushing forward."

* * *

The night in Pearl City had been a quiet one so they returned to Honolulu that afternoon. Danny was lying on the sandy beach, passing the time while Kaiko met with Haku. Johnny was snoring a few feet away while, all the driving must have taken it out of him. D.J. walked over from the shack and sat down beside him, beers in hand. "Have a beer, Danno."

Danny opened his can as he replied, "You're really going to keep calling me that?"

"Why not? It fits a man who can outsmart the fuzz. Besides Kaiko's going to call you Danno whether you like or not."

"Good thing I don't mind it." _Too much._

D.J. laughed as he downed his beer. "This is the life. No school, no adults telling us what to, just good times and cold beer."

"I'll drink to that," Danny said as he raised his beer in toast motion. After he took another drink, he saw the familiar battered van parking next to their little shack. "Kaiko's back."

"Johnny, wake up," D.J. said as he threw sand at the other punk.

A few minutes later the four of them were around their table as the familiar ritual played itself out. After Danny received his share of the cash, he made a move to leave. "I got to go. I'm already in a lot of trouble."

"Don't go back," Kaiko said.

Danny jerked back his hand from the doorknob and whirled around. "What?"

"Live here with us, Bruddah," Kaiko continued. "We got da room and you no worry about da old man no more."

Danny took a calming breathe, this was what he's been waiting for but he needed to remain in character. Luckily, he figured that Danny Burken would jump at the offer. "You kidding?" he answered excitingly. "What made you wait so long?"

"So you're moving in?" D.J. asked.

"Yeah."

Kaiko's smirk was back so Danny knew he was in a good mood. "Great," the punk replied. "Go get ya stuff. If da old man tries to stop ya, I got ya back."

With those words Danny and Kaiko took off together into Honolulu and within twenty minutes they reached Danny's uncle's apartment. When they walked in the front door, they ignored the man sitting on the couch and went straight to Danny's room.

Grabbing a duffel bag, Danny started throwing a few essentials into it. Kaiko didn't help; he just stood silently against the wall.

Steve O'Donnell heard them come in for with a minute he was standing in the bedroom doorway. "Where were you last night?"

Danny didn't look at him as he replied, "Out."

"Out." The other Steve's tone took on a note of annoyance and frustration. "You can't be any more specific than that?"

"I could."

"But you won't. Danny, have you forgotten why you've moved here?"

"Nope. But to tell you the truth old man, I don't care. I'm moving out."

"Moving where?"

"Nowhere, anywhere. Why do you care?"

"Your father would be rolling in grave if he saw you today."

Danny closed the zipper on his bag and turned to face his uncle. "You done?"

"Fine, break your grandmother's heart. Break mine, but don't come back here until you plan on shaping up."

Danny shrugged and Kaiko, ignoring Steve, called out, "Ready, Danno?"

"I was born ready." With those words, Danny walked out of what had been his home and didn't look back, trying to ignore the fact that his Uncle Steve looked authentically hurt by his words. Danny felt a pang of guilt and pushed it away. Having lost his own his own parents he couldn't understand the reasons why someone would do what he had just done but he was all too aware that he had just played a scene that was all too common in this world.

Back at their shack, the gang was all cheers at their new roommate. Kaiko told them to take a night off to celebrate. "I got ta meet someone. Hang loose till I get back in da morning."

Danny thought it was weird that, the first night they weren't bound by sneaking around his uncle's schedule, Kaiko decided to give them a night off. Not that they needed to work, they'd made more than enough money this past week to support their lifestyle. No, it was just that his gut was just whispering to him that something else was going on. The question was whether or not he needed to figure out what it was.

Staying in character, Danny kept his thoughts to himself and called out jokingly, "Don't have too much fun without us."

"I hear ya, Danno." The young Hawaiian punk replied as he made the shaka signal and walked off into the night.

_Danno. _Could have Kaiko picked a more ridiculous nickname? Danny mentally shrugged, he would put up with it because it meant he was accepted as part of Kaiko's gang. He was just thankful that he would only have to hear it for a few more weeks.

* * *

It was déjà vu; third store, third scene, each exactly like the one before it. And there Kono was standing next to a slightly irate Steve McGarrett and a much calmer Chin Ho Kelly. They had already interviewed the "witnesses" and were exchanging facts.

Steve glanced down at his watch. "I have a meeting with the governor that I can't miss. You two stay here and see if you find anything. Chin, I want this place gone over with a fine tooth comb. This is the last store our thieves are going to hit."

Steve said those words with enough conviction that Kono believed him as he watched his boss leave the scene. Kono looked over at Chin. "Let's get to work, Bruddah."

Chin laughed and gave him a look that said after you.

Knowing that the lab boys would be hard at work inside the store, Kono felt drawn to the side of the store where he again found a smaller second-story bathroom window that he suspected would show that someone had forced an entry. Studying the wall their thief must have climbed up, Kono's eyes were drawn to a small black shape above his head. Kono looked closer and recognized it as a piece of black fabric that had got caught on a piece of metal jutting out of the wall.

Kono saw Chin, standing by the street and called out, "Chin! Over here."

The Chinese detective walked over and asked, "What is it?"

Kono pointed. "Looks like a piece of a glove."

"Let me get Che."

A few moments, Chin was back with Che Fong. Che studied the fabric and starting giving a running commentary of his observations. "Definitely a glove. Once I get it to the lab, I should be able to tell you the type. It looks it's off of a fingertip and there's a drop of blood here which suggests he caught his finger. Yes," Che said pointing out another drop of blood further blood the wall. "If this ripped right we might be lucky and find a fingerprint."

"A fingerprint," Kono repeated.

"One would be enough," Che stated.

"Kelly."

Che pulled out his tools as Kono turned toward the voice and saw a HPD man. Chin replied, "Yes, Officer Olena."

"Got a call from your wife. She says to meet you at the hospital."

Kono smiled as he watched Chin's face turn from stoic to a combination of worry and delight. Pushing the older detective on the shoulder, he said, "Go! I can finish up here."

Chin didn't need any more incentive to hurry off and Kono chuckled softly to himself as he watched his fellow detective leave. It may be kid number six for Chin but he still ran toward his car with the excitement and worry of a first time father.

As Chin pulled away, Kono realized that he had just placed himself in charge of a crime scene for the first time. And with Steve at his meeting, Chin at the hospital, and Ralph still on Hilo, it was going to be Kono's job to make sure all the proper procedures were followed. Kono inwardly groaned. _There's nothing like learning as you go._

Turning back to the Che, Kono caught a grin on the forensic examiners face as he looked up from his work. "Jackpot."

"Fingerprint?" Kono asked.

Che nodded. "We've got a fingerprint."

Kono smiled; maybe this won't be so difficult after all.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven: An Unlikely Meeting**

_Edited by traw_

Armed with cigars and baby pictures, Chin Ho Kelly was all smiles on his first day back at Five-O. There were cheers all around the office as everyone congratulated the proud father on his new son, Thomas Lee Kelly.

"How's Lin doing?" asked Ralph who had returned from Hilo the night before.

"Great," Chin answered. "Her sister came over to help with the kids and that was the sign that I was being kicked out."

Ralph laughed. "Rachel would do the same thing. But then they'll complain when you're not around to change the diaper."

Kono walked in the door and walked straight up to the new father. "Let me see."

As Chin handed Kono a picture he saw Steve looking at the scene with interest. Chin could tell that the boss wanted to get back to work but didn't want to interrupt the joyful moment.

"Thank you," Chin said to the room. "But if don't start earning my paycheck, Lin won't be happy."

Chin saw Steve nod in thanks and then call out, "Gentlemen."

The four detectives gathered in Steve's domain and Steve immediately inquired about the file in Kono's hand. "What've ya got?"

"An ID on the fingerprint." Setting the file on Steve's desk, Kono started reading the notes on his notepad. "Name's Josh Kikeona but goes by Kaiko. Hawaiian, seventeen, a regular kolohe. Da kid's been in and out of foster care since age six and run away at fourteen. Was arrested for theft at sixteen and spent six months at Juvenile Hall. Kikeona runs a gang downtown and HPD suspects their involved with the car thefts, but dey can't prove it."

Chin thought over Kono's description of the suspect. A young kid, unwanted, in and out of trouble his whole life. Not exactly the type of person he expected to be involved in a theft of this magnitude.

Steve appeared to consider the information while he pursued the file in front of him. "We have a kid, whose gang hangs out in this area anyway. I need a better connection than that to question him."

"He's five foot four and skinny. And get dis. When Kikeona was arrested, he managed to trip an alarm. HPD caught him climbing out a window onto da roof."

Chin privately smiled, Kono seemed to have anticipated Steve's question. He exchanged a knowing look with Ralph; Kono looked like he was going to work out. Steve also seemed happy with that information and pressed on, "What do you know about his gang?"

"It's small, but they've managed to stay out of trouble even with HPD cracking down. Kikeona has three guys with him. David Harden, a kid he met at juvie. Johnny Pouha, a high school drop-out with a clean record, and some haole kid that joined them recently."

"How recent?"

"A week, maybe more," Kono answered. "My sources weren't sure. Lukela's been investigating da car thefts and might know more but he and Kainoa got called out to da North Shore for da day."

Chin hated to interrupt but he wasn't convinced. "Steve, I'll buy these kids stripping cars for parts but stealing jewels?"

"Someone had to have let our thieves into those stores and why not a hire a small time punk?" Steve reasoned. "Ralph, you have any loose ends to tie up with Hilo?"

"All finished, the local office is handling the rest of the paperwork."

"Good," Steve said. Turning back to Kono, he asked, "Know where we can find Mr. Kikeona?"

"HPD says he currently with the rest of his gang at a soda shop near Pahoa and Koko Head."

Steve grabbed his jacket as he ordered, "Let's go."

* * *

"For Pete's sake, Danno, you're taking longer than my Grandma."

Danny laughed at D.J's teasing as he lined up for a shot. "Hey, at least I wasn't the one who sunk the eight ball on his first shot the last game."

As his stick hit the cue ball, the door to the soda shop slammed open. Before Danny could register what going on, he found himself being pushed against the wall by a large Hawaiian cop. Danny forced himself to not react and to remain still as hands patted him down.

When the cop stepped back, Danny was able to turn around and take in the scene. Kaiko, D.J., and Johnny had likewise been pushed up against the wall beside him. Four plainclothes officers he didn't recognize stood in the room. In addition to the Hawaiian, there was an older white-haired cop, and a middle-aged Chinese officer. Towering over then was a serious dark-haired man who was clearly in charge. Danny's heart sunk as he realized who these men had to be.

"Alright fuzz, what's dis about?" Kaiko called out as soon as the cops stepped back.

The tall cop reached inside his suit jacket and pulled out a badge. "McGarrett, Hawaii Five-O. I think you already know what this about, Mr. Kikeona."

_Crap. _This didn't look good, though Danny had no idea why McGarrett would be interested in Kaiko's little gang. Worried, Danny was fighting hard to keep it from showing on his face. He definitely had not signed up for this.

"Really," Kaiko spat back. "Enlighten me, cause da last time I checked it's legal to play pool in dis state or you haoles gonna take dat away from us, too?"

McGarrett seemed unfazed and walked confidently over to the pool table where he picked up the cue ball and started rolling it around in his hand. "Where were you two nights ago?"

"Why'd ya care?"

"Aloha Jewelers on Lilioukalani Avenue was robbed that night."

"So? Why should I care 'bout some tourist shop?"

"We found your fingerprints near the scene."

Kaiko shrugged. "I walk all over dis town, dat don't prove nothin'."

"The fingerprint in question was found next to a ripped piece of black glove in the alley behind the store. That suggests to me that you were making an effort not to leave any."

"What a joke, man. Ya gonna arrest me or somethin' for hanging out in an alley?"

"That depends. Are you confessing?"

"Look man, I don't what ya deal is but I wasn't nowhere near dat store dat night. Ask Danno."

McGarrett turned and looked at Danny, D.J. and Johnny and asked, "Daniel?"

Danny didn't have time to think so he just reacted, knowing that he couldn't afford to blow his cover. "Danno," he snapped, glaring at McGarrett. "The name's Danno, fuzz, and don't you forget it."

For an instant Danny thought McGarrett was going to laugh but instead he turned on of his attention onto him and asked, "You have a last name to go with that?"

Danny felt like he was going to crumble under McGarrett's stern gaze. Summoning his courage, he shot back, "None that I'd share with you."

"Tough talk, kid. I hope you do realize that you if don't come clean to me you'll be in a lot of trouble."

He was already in a load of trouble, on multiple levels, and it was clear that McGarrett had no idea. So while inwardly cursing his situation, Danny gave the top cop on the island as much lip as he could muster. "You don't scare me, man."

"Listen up, Mr. Fuzz," Johnny yelled out. "Kaiko was with us and we weren't anywhere near that store."

"Yeah," D.J. agreed. "Go find someone else to pin the blame on."

"You heard them," Danny added. "We were hanging at our own joint."

"Very well." With those words McGarrett set down the ball, turned, and left the shop without another word, his men following behind him.

Danny watched them gather across the road and forced himself to breathe normally. He did what he had too and he wouldn't be able to do anything differently until he managed to rendezvous with Duke which wouldn't be until tomorrow at the earliest.

D.J. was the first to speak. "What'd you think his problem was?"

"Not here," Kaiko ordered. "As soon as da fuzz is gone, we scat."

While the others waited, Danny walked over to the pool table and looked down at the ball McGarrett had picked up. The game was changing and he no longer knew the rules. Five-O was getting involved in a case they would normally never touch. And did Kaiko really rob a jewelry store? _Duke, you never prepared me for this._

* * *

Across the street, Steve gathered his men by the police photographer he brought with them. "You got the pictures?"

The man nodded.

"Good. Get them developed and in my office as soon as possible. Ralph, head over to Juvenile Hall. Talk the Warden and the guards about Josh Kikeona, and David Harden. I want to know about their friends, anyone they could have learned the skills to pull this type of job from. Chin, I need you to find out who Danno is. Take his picture around to some of the local high schools, maybe we'll get lucky. Kono, hit the street. I want to know if there's any talk on the street about this gang; if they've suddenly come into money, that sort of thing."

Getting into his car, Steve glanced back at the shop. A large part of him wasn't convinced that these kids could pull off these jobs, not without serious help, but his gut was telling him that Kikeona was involved in some manner. Plus, there was something weird about that Danno kid and Steve couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

Shaking his head, Steve shut the door and turned the ignition. There was still a lot of work to be done.

* * *

Hours later, they were all back at the house and Kaiko was still furious about McGarrett. Danny listened to Kaiko's ravings as he leaned against a wall and tried to let the nicotine from his cigarette calm his own nerves. D.J. looked as nervous as Danny felt; he was sitting on top of a pile of crates, his feet kicking nervously against the boards. Johnny alone seemed unfazed by McGarrett's visit as he was lying down the middle of the floor with his arms crossed behind his head.

"Just who does dat pig think he is, roughing us up for no reason?" Kaiko growled as he paced across the rotting floor.

"He's a cop," Johnny reasoned, "he can do whatever he wants. Besides, he ain't got nothin' on us."

"Yeah," Kaiko said taking a long draw from his cigarette. "But it would be nice ta rough him up for a change."

"Not happening, man," D.J. argued. "He's a cop, untouchable. You mess with him and they'll lock you up for a long time."

"I ain't talkin' about his person."

Danny dropped his cigarette. It was crazy, unthinkable…

D.J. jumped up. "No way, man! No way I'm going back to juvie!"

"Johnny?"

Johnny slowly sat up and looked his friend in the eye. "Not worth it, Kaiko. I won't risk it."

"Danny?"

Danny, not Danno. Kaiko was testing him and he knew it. If he backed out now, he'd lose his chance at meeting Haku. However, the guys at HPD would never let him live this down if they pulled it off and McGarrett…

Danny pushed the thought of McGarrett from his mind. Succeeding in this case was what was important and he needed Kaiko's trust for that to happen.

"I'm in. But we're going to have to plan this carefully if we don't want to get caught."

"Sure, Danno. Don't worry too much. McGarrett won't know what hit him."

The case came first and Danny hoped that McGarrett would understand. The worst that could happen would be that he was looking for a new job tomorrow. At least that's what he hoped.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight: Kaiko's Revenge **

_Edited by traw_

Danny's stomach was in knots as he sat silently in the front seat of Kaiko's van at a little after midnight. The punk's determination to strip McGarrett's car was firm and Danny had no choice but to assist in this crazy caper if he wanted to keep Kaiko's trust.

Kaiko motioned for him to wait in the van while he left to look at the cars next to the apartment complex that the Hawaiian said was McGarrett's. After fifteen minutes, Kaiko returned and said, "Da car's ain't here."

Danny wanted to scream halleluiah; to strip McGarrett's car was an insane idea and if they couldn't find the car he would be off the hook. Hiding his hopes, Danny calmly asked, "You think we're at the right place?"

Kaiko frowned as he checked his surroundings. "Yeah, I bet da fuzz's workin' late."

"So?"

"We wait, Bruddah."

Settling into a more comfortable position, Danny took up a silent watch of the parking lot and tried not to think what would happened if McGarrett found them. As the minutes ticked past, Danny's worries lessened and he became convinced that they had the wrong apartment complex. However, Kaiko's stubbornness was rewarded when he saw a black mercury sedan pull into an empty parking spot a little over an hour later. Danny held his breathe as the unmistakable figure of McGarrett exited from the car and walked into the building. Kaiko started to move after a few minutes but Danny grabbed his arm and pointed to window on the fourth floor. "That light just came on. I bet it's the cop's. We should wait until he goes to bed."

Kaiko nodded and when the light went dark they struck.

Fifteen minutes later Danny could safely breathe again. He was trying his hardest not to think about what he had just done as the van moved slowly away from McGarrett's apartment. _At least it's over._

Kaiko had a grin that stretched from ear to ear as he looked over at Danny. "Let's drop dese off den come back."

Not quite sure that he had heard Kaiko correctly, Danny asked incredulously, "Come back?"

"Yeah, I wanna see da fuzz's face."

Not trusting his ability to keep his emotions from his face Danny leaned back in seat with his eyes staring at the road before him. Why in the world would Kaiko want to anywhere near an angry McGarrett? The idea was stupid, reckless, and risky. Danny wondered what ever had possessed him to agree to take this job. The only thing that kept Danny from leaping out of the van and turning himself in wasKaiko's insinuation that he was going with him to sell the parts. If he discovered the buyer then maybe, just maybe, would this whole ordeal be worth it.

Not much later the van started to slow and they pulled next to a warehouse. Danny kept a relaxed posture but mentally he was alert and filing away every bit of information he could gather.

Kaiko honked the horn three times in succession: one long and two short. Danny recognized it as a signal and that conclusion was affirmed when a garage door slide up and they drove inside. The door closed behind them as they got out of the van and stood in a mostly empty warehouse. The man working the door was a little taller than Danny and of Asian descent. He wasn't bulky but he had some muscles on his frame. When he turned toward them, Danny figured that he was probably Japanese.

Glancing casually around the rest of the warehouse, Danny noticed a door leading into a small square room that he guessed was an office. The rest of area was open and empty except for a commercial truck and another man leaning against it. That man was of the same nationality, height, and build as the man who let them into the warehouse and the two of them looked like they might be twins.

On seeing the truck, Danny realized that they weren't keeping the stolen parts here; this was just a drop off point. Glancing toward the truck's license plate, Danny was disappointed to see that it was covered so that he couldn't read the number.

The hairs on the back of Danny's neck prickled. Something wasn't right here. Codes, changing drop off points, the covered license plate, and the fact that Kaiko normally made this run alone just didn't add up to a gang of thieves that stripped cars for parts. Whoever was running this show was way too good for car parts; they could be making much more money dealing in practically anything else. Maybe there was something to McGarrett's accusation about Kaiko being involved in the jewelry thefts. But if Kaiko was involved with people good enough to steal from those stores why would he waste his time stealing hot car parts? It couldn't just be for fun; no one paid out that type of money so some kids could fool just came back to the fact that things weren't adding up in a way that made sense and thinking about it was giving Danny a headache.

While Danny was analyzing the room, the man who worked the door called out to Kaiko, "You're late. Haku wants to talk to you."

Kaiko smirked at the man as he held out his hands in a mock surrender. "Hey, I got a special shipment." Kaiko looked over his shoulder at his partner and ordered, "Danno, help dem unload."

Danny noticed Kaiko disappear through the office door as he turned to open the van's doors. He silently worked along aside the two men, not trusting himself to speak since he was having a hard time reading this whole situation. Besides, they were acting like they were the muscle; Kaiko was probably meeting with the brains.

Once the parts were out of the van and on the floor, the Japanese men walked over to their truck while Danny waited beside Kaiko's van. Luckily, he didn't have to wait too long as the door opened and Kaiko came back into the main room. Danny's pulse quickened as he saw another figure coming out behind him.

The person who followed Kaiko into the room was dressed like someone who spent a lot of time around cars, dressed in comfortable pants and a t-shirt that were dirty and stained with grease, but the person wearing them was definitely not someone Danny was expecting.

Kaiko was smirking again; Danny could tell he was enjoying springing this surprise on him. For the person that Danny assumed was Haku, the person that had a half a dozen youth gangs stripping cars across Honolulu was a slender Hawaiian woman who looked to be in her late twenties. She was definitely easy on the eyes even though Danny noticed that she had a vertical scar over her right eye. However, neither her looks nor her scar detracted from the aura of confidence and control that he sensed from her.

The Hawaiian woman surveyed the room; her eyes seemed to take in everything before they settled on Danny. "So this is the young Mr. Burken that I've heard so much about."

Kaiko saved Danny from having to respond as he called out, "Yeah, Danno's good."

"Well, Mr. Burken. What do you think of my little setup here?" The woman' voice was crisp, proper but with a hint of a challenge in her words. She spoke in a way that immediately demanded Danny's full attention and respect.

Weighing his words clearly, Danny decided to take a risk and replied in kind, "I think there's more here than meets the eye, Miss…?"

The Hawaiian woman chuckled and then paused for a moment as she studied him. Danny felt uncomfortable under her gaze but he kept up the persona of a bored and sure-of-himself punk. She nodded as she stated, "You'll do. And you can call me Haku."

Clearly done addressing Danny, Haku turned toward the stolen goads and began picking her way through the parts scattered in the room with a look of intense concentration. After picking a few pieces up and setting them down again, she stated, "Scratched and dented, these parts aren't worth more than scrap."

"So da fuzz works," Kaiko quickly shot back. "Dere bettah for other reasons."

The woman gave a slight laugh as she picked up McGarrett's license plate. Grinning she said, "Yes, I think this will hold a special place in my collection."

"So?"

"So you'll get paid the usual."

Finishing her survey of the merchandise, Haku nodded towards the twins who began loading it into another vehicle. "And that means we're finished."

Brisk, blunt, and sure; this was definitely a woman who knew that she was in control. Danny kept staring at the space where Haku stood even after she disappeared back into the office. He wasn't quite sure what to make of this woman.

"Danno," Kaiko called out in a tone that suggested that it wasn't the first time he had called his name.

Danny mentally cursed himself for allowing his mind to wander. "Yeah?" he answered.

"Ya coming?"

Danny answered by climbing back into the van but not before taking one more quick glance back at where Haku had been.

* * *

Kono hadn't made it into the office before he got the call to report to Steve's apartment. He didn't even want to think about what was waiting for him when he arrived because his boss had been curt over the radio, a sure sign that Kono might have to deal with Steve's volatile Irish-temper.

Pulling into parking lot next to McGarrett's apartment, Kono wondered briefly if his old position at HPD was still available. Steve was standing in front of his car, arms crossed, mouth set, and acting completely obvious to the scene behind him; the usually spotless Mercury was stripped down to its frame. Kono parked and slowly got out of his car. If this had happened to anyone but Steve McGarrett, Kono would have not been able to resist a sarcastic comment but, knowing his boss, Kono didn't dare speak.

This had all the markings of a very long day.

* * *

"Did ya see da fuzz's face?" Kaiko asked, his face shining with excitement as he looked at his partner-in-crime.

The aforementioned partner-in-crime could only murmur a word of agreement for he was too busy trying to keep his own head from spinning. Danny had just sprinted away from the scene of the crime as fast as possible after seeing McGarrett's reaction when he found his car from way too close a distance. Between Kaiko's bright ideas and insatiable curiosity, Danny considered it a minor miracle that they hadn't been caught. But he had met Haku…

Part of Danny wanted to scream that he had done it, that he had fulfilled an important piece of his assignment! The other part of him wanted to forget the whole evening; forget the fact that he had committed a crime against McGarrett in order to accomplish his own goals. Would McGarrett understand or would Danny spend the rest of career regretting this decision?

Noticing that Kaiko ducked inside a store, Danny thought through his next steps as he leaned against a glass window. He needed to tell Duke about Haku. He needed Duke to explain to McGarrett about the car. He needed to report that Kaiko disappeared the night McGarrett was asking about. He needed…

_I need to calm down._

After a few calming breathes Danny felt his mind return to a semblance of order. As soon as Danny figured out what Kaiko wanted to do he knew that he was in for something big but he had never imagined this.

"Come on, Bruddah," Kaiko called, tugging on his sleeve.

Danny snapped of his thoughts and took a long drink from the soda Kaiko offered him. He figured that he'd get some grief over McGarrett's car but Duke _should_ be happy when he gave him the information on Haku.

Reaching the shack, Danny froze when he saw the figure standing in the doorway. Looking right at them was the big Hawaiian cop that was with McGarrett yesterday.

Duke was going to kill him!


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine: Revelations**

_Edited by traw_

"Dispatch to Car Ten."

Duke Lukela reached down and grabbed his mike. "Car Ten here."

The familiar tones of Henry Kainoa's voice came over the radio. "Duke, we have a small problem."

Duke groaned; he had been having good morning. "Go ahead, Henry."

"McGarrett's had Williams and Kikeona brought in."

"What? Why?" asked an astonished Duke. There was no conceivable reason that he could think of for Five-O picking up a gang of small time punks that just happened to have their undercover officer in it.

"McGarrett's Mercury was stripped bare last night and he seems pretty confident about the culprits."

_Of all the crazy…_ Duke's thoughts trailed off as he realized he probably didn't want to know what the pupule cop had been thinking. Now, they had to think of a way to salvage this case. "Has McGarrett charged Williams with anything?"

"Not that I've heard."

At least Henry had one piece of good news. "What should we do?"

"I've got my hands full with a case right now. I need you to go over there and convince McGarrett to back down."

Reason with a livid McGarrett, could Henry have given him an easier assignment like finding enough solid evidence to arrest a Vashon? Duke knew that he didn't have any other options; they needed Williams and Kikeona out on the streets to finish this case. "Ten-four, Lukela out."

Duke dropped the microphone and speed through the city streets. With luck he would reach the Iolani Palace before Steve arrested Danny. Why did Five-O have to move so quickly? Duke could just see their carefully planned operation unraveling before his eyes because of a well-meaning but stubborn Irish cop, and a reckless but equally stubborn rookie.

As Duke walked into the Five-O office the cheerful voice of Steve's secretary greeted him. "Morning, Duke. Steve's busy at the moment."

Duke heard the sound of raised voices from the direction of Steve's office and he figured that Steve was busy letting the two "punks" have it. "May, I know who's in there. I need a file."

"What?"

"Any file. It doesn't matter what's in it. Please May, this is important."

The secretary looked confused but she picked up a manila folder and handed it to Duke. Duke grabbed the folder and a scrap of paper and scribbled a few words.

Duke looked up at May. "Tell Steve I'm coming in." Then without waiting to see that she followed his command, Duke walked straight toward Steve's office door.

Reaching the door, Duke heard a familiar voice call out, "Look man, I know my rights. I don't have to put up with this."

Walking into Steve's office, Duke might have laughed if he wasn't so furious. Danny was sitting slouched over in an armchair, his arms crossed, with his bright blue eyes glaring at McGarrett. The punk in the chair next to him looked bored with the whole proceedings. However, a smirk on Kikeona's face showed that he didn't seem to mind being on the receiving end of one of McGarrett's rants.

Steve looked up at Duke, his eyes showing his disapproval at the interruption. "Sorry, Steve, I have some new information of the jewelry heists that you need to see immediately." Duke said handing over the manila folder.

Flipping the folder open, Steve quickly glanced at the handwritten note tacked on the first page.

Sensing an opportunity Kikeona called out lazily, "Can we go now?"

Steve tossed the folder behind and brought his attention fully to young man sitting before him. "Not until I say so. Kono, take Mr. Kikeona here and I want to find every detail of where he was last night: times and places. And I'll warn you, kid, if you lie I will find out. For your sake you better hope that your story matches that of your friend here."

Kikeonastood up and sneering declared, "Ya ain't gonna to get nothin', cop. Not from me and not from Danno neither."

Further protests and lip were made impossible when Kono grabbed the punk by the arm and dragged him out of the office.

As the door shut, Danny wanted to let out a large sigh of relief but instead he waited silently looking at Duke for a signal to drop this charade. McGarrett stood by his desk as if carved from granite while Duke checked the door, making sure it was firmly shut.

When Duke turned around Danny knew that he was in trouble. The normally mild-mannered detective looked furious. "What," demanded Duke, "possessed you to think this assignment gave you the license to strip McGarrett's car?"

_There goes my job_. "It wasn't my idea," Danny replied weakly.

"It wasn't your idea to strip McGarrett's car," Duke repeated.

"It wasn't!" Danny replied, louder than he intended. Taking a few deep breathes, he straightened in his chair, determined to look more like the officer he was instead of the punk he was impersonating. "Kaiko was furious about the shakedown and…"

Duke interrupted, "Shakedown, what shakedown?"

"Yesterday, at the soda shop," Danny explained, deliberately not looking at McGarrett. "McGarrett interrogated Kaiko about some theft at a jewelry store. Afterwards, Kaiko was furious and wanted to get back at McGarrett but he wasn't stupid. Going after the car was the only thing he could except to carry off. What was I supposed to do, blow my cover over a few car parts?"

Ending his speech, Danny saw that Duke looked a lot calmer. Deciding to risk a glance at McGarrett, he was surprised to see that the detective looked…amused? Danny knew that he was out of trouble when Duke turned to McGarrett and asked, "What should I book him on?"

"For starters, two counts of lip, and one count of embarrassing his superior officer, I'll add more charges once we get to the bottom of this rogue's actions."

Danny felt his face turn red from the detectives' teasing. "You aren't serious," he blurted out.

"Nah," McGarrett said with a wave of his hand. "However, I do want a report. Kono shouldn't take too long with your friend out there."

"Right," Danny muttered. "Um, where do you want me to start?"

"Where was Mr. Kikeona three nights ago?"

"I don't know but he wasn't at the house."

"Did he say anything?"

"Just that he was going out and we were supposed to hang loose until he got back."

McGarrett leaned back in his chair, appearing to think things over. Danny didn't wait for him to ask the next question as got his own thoughts in order and knew that he had to drop the big news. "I met Haku."

Duke immediately reacted. "When?"

"Last night. D.J. and Johnny didn't want anything to do with Mr. McGarrett's car so it was just Kaiko and I. So Kaiko let me come along with him to drop off the parts and Haku was there."

Danny noticed McGarrett reach forward and turn on his tape recorder. "Tell us about him."

"Her. Haku's a Hawaiian woman in her late twenties, about 5'6'' with long black hair, and she has scar here." Danny drew a vertical line from above his right eye to the middle of his cheek. She a real looker but she dresses like a guy. She was wearing work clothes that you'd see on any mechanic and it's not for show; she knows cars.

"Haku's one tough lady and when she speaks you listen. She seemed happy that we stripped your car, saying that those pieces will hold a special place in her collection."

"Did you meet anyone else?"

"She had two muscles, Japanese twins. I didn't get their names."

McGarrett leaned forward, "Twins, you sure?"

"That or very close looking brothers."

McGarrett rose quickly and walked over to his bulletin board. Grabbing one of the many flyers he showed it to him. Danny took the flyer and saw two familiar faces staring back at him. "That's them."

"Positive?"

"Yes, sir."

Steve quickly read the flyer he grabbed: Tetso and Tomo Asari. As a team, it was estimated they had stolen over a half a million dollars worth of jewelry from stores in Japan and California. They had hired local help in a couple of their jobs. They fit with the Waikiki thefts but not as muscle for a Hawaiian woman who was ordering around local youth gangs. Steve wanted to ask Danno more questions but he was worried that keeping him back here much longer would make Kikeona suspicious. Hitting a button on his phone, Steve ordered, "Ralph, pick up."

"I'm listening."

"I'm going to release these two punks and I need you to dog them."

"Will do."

"Duke, take Danno out and tell Kono to turn them loose."

"Ready?"

"Yes," the undercover officer answered as he stood up. "And, uh, Mr. McGarrett, sir. I am sorry about your car."

Steve wanted to shake his head. Danno the cop couldn't be more different than Danno the punk; the cop could use some of the punk's confidence. "Never apologize for doing the right thing," he ordered firmly.

Danno looked relieved. "Thank you, sir."

Now, Steve wanted to roll his eyes; the formality was becoming excessive. "And Danno, its Steve."

The young officer looked like he was going to respond but Duke grabbed his arm and started hauling him toward the door and the rebellious punk was instantly back.

As they left, Steve stood and walked across the room to look out the French windows. This was an interesting twist that he hadn't expected. He was upset that he hadn't been informed of…Danno? He never heard the officer's real name. Though he suspected HPD never imagined a connection between their theft case and his.

Steve heard heavy footsteps, signaling Kono's return. Remaining silent, he waited for him to speak first.

"Boss?"

Still looking out the window, Steve confessed, "I don't believe it."

"Believe what?"

Steve turned around. "Danno's one of ours."

Kono let out a low whistle. "Da kid's good. He really pulled a fast one on you."

"Yes he did."

The door opened again and when Duke walked back into room Steve pounced. "So when was HPD planning on informing me that they had a man undercover?"

Duke at least looked sympathetic. "Last I heard, Steve, Five-O had its hands full with a bunch of missing jewels."

"And I hauled Kikeona in here because he might be involved in that case."

"It doesn't make sense, Steve," Duke replied shaking his head. "Kikeona's a car thief, a small time gang leader. He doesn't have the skills needed to pull off a successful heist."

"On his own, no, but he could be a piece of the puzzle. Those men Danno identified are known jewel thieves."

"Uh, Steve, his name is Danny."

Steve chuckled. "I don't know, Duke. He was pretty insistent that I call him Danno."

Duke thought about replying but he knew McGarrett well enough to know that the detective wasn't done teasing the young cop about his escapades. He just hoped that Danny didn't take it the wrong way.

"Hey, Steve!" Chin called out as he walked into the office. "I turned up something weird about that Danno kid. Found a high school baseball coach who swears his name is Dan Williams. Problem is he says the kid played for him seven years ago."

"Alright Duke which is it? Chin says Dan, you say Danny, and he calls himself Danno."

"Legally it's Dan Williams but everybody calls him Danny."

"Did I miss something?" asked a confused looking Chin.

"Yeah," Kono answered. "Da mystery punk's a cop."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten: Too Close For Comfort**

_Edited by traw_

Danny stepped out of the Iolani Palace into the beautiful Hawaiian sunlight hardly believing that he had managed to make it out of McGarrett's office in one piece. It was like a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders; McGarrett knew everything and wasn't upset. Honestly, Danny had no idea what he had done to be so lucky.

Danny followed Kaiko across the street and once they were out of sight of the palace the punk pulled Danny aside. "What did da pig want?"

Danny had been expecting this and shot back, "What else? To turn you in. The cop went on about how trouble I was in and how it would all disappear if I decided to help."

"Ya answer?"

"I don't talk to animals."

Kaiko snorted with laughter. "True dat. Da pig sure mad but he got nothin'."

Danny agreed, mimicking the punk's pidgin. "True dat."

Kaiko stepped back and Danny noticed that he had the look in his eye that usually meant trouble. "Follow me," the Hawaiian ordered.

"Where to?"

The smirk was back as Kaiko replied, "Ya see."

Wordlessly, Danny followed Kaiko as he got on a bus and rode it until getting off in a seedier section of Honolulu. After walking a few blocks, Kaiko headed for a building that looked like it was an abandoned store with a sign on the door that read: _closed_.

Kaiko walked confidently up to the door and knocked. The door cracked open and Danny saw the head of one of the Asari twins before the door opened fully and they were invited inside. They walked into a large empty room; all the furniture had been cleared from the room making it look like a make-shift warehouse. A door in the back, Danny suspected led to an alley where they could park a car or the truck he saw earlier this morning.

If Danny hadn't been standing right next to Kaiko he would have missed the punk whisper, "Dey moved dem."

Kaiko's comment confirmed two things to Danny: one that this was where the goods were kept and two that Kaiko was in tight with Haku which didn't make sense since all other signs showed that she was very careful. Maybe Kaiko was doing more than just selling hot car parts; maybe McGarrett's accusations were correct.

Danny didn't have time to dwell on his thoughts as Kaiko moved quickly toward a staircase and took the steps two at a time until he reached the second floor. The second floor was furnished and looked habitable. Kaiko turned into a room where Haku was sitting on a couch talking with the other Asari twin.

The Hawaiian woman turned her head as they entered the room. Her eyes flashed in anger as she said, "You shouldn't be here, Kaiko."

Kaiko flinched at her gaze but pushed back. "Dere's a problem."

"Tell."

"I think ya know or da goods would be here."

"Correct. I moved the goods when McGarrett picked you up."

"Ya don't trust me?" Kaiko asked, looking genuinely hurt.

The light reflected off of her scar as Haku stated calmly and coldly, "I trust no one."

Danny shuddered as he considered this; Kaiko thought he was in close with Haku but clearly this woman was playing a game of her own devising. Danny figured that Kaiko was treating it all like a big joke on the fuzz and a quick way to earn some dough. Haku, however, understood the stakes and what exactly she was risking.

When a shocked Kaiko had no answer, Haku ordered, "I want the two of you to wait here and lay low for awhile."

"Ya don't want…" Kaiko started to ask.

"No," Haku said firmly.

Danny was trying to figure out what the last part of the conversation could possibly be about when a Chinese punk came into the room looking positively livid as he walked straight up to Haku. He was Kaiko's age and Danny recognized him as the leader of one of the largest youth gangs in Honolulu. HPD had caught several members of his gang red-handed and suspected that it was his gang that was causing most of the damage. Therefore, it made a lot more sense that the Chinese punk would be able to find Haku during the day than Kaiko. The punk wasted no time stating his issue, looking like he was trying not to shout. "We got a problem. You hired me and my men to acquire some parts; you didn't hire me to me to have to deal with McGarrett."

"There's no reason for you to have to deal with McGarrett, Mr. Ling. He's my problem."

The punk crossed his arms in front of his chest as he shot back. "If McGarrett's involved he's all our problem. I want out."

"Leave. It's no loss to me if decide you don't want the money I offer."

Ling looked like he wanted to say something else but instead he turned and walked toward the doorway. Right as he reached them, one of the Asari twins blocked his path. "Wait."

When Ling stopped, Haku asked, "Is there a problem, Tomo?"

Tomo nodded towards a window and said, "Cops."

Haku moved quickly over to the window and Danny watched her facial expressions harden as she saw what had worried Tomo. Danny's senses instantly came to full alert and he tried to silently calm his nerves as he realized that their tail had been spotted or McGarrett had decided to move in. Either way things were about to get interesting.

* * *

A ray of light shone across the files on his desk that Steve was reading in order to bring himself up to speed on all the new developments from he had gained since learning Danno's identity. After Williams left his office, Steve had demanded that Duke send over all the information on their case and the young officer. Going over the files, Steve began to better understand why HPD had felt the need to send Williams undercover but he had been very shocked when he read Williams' hiring date. Danno was a rookie officer with only a few weeks under his belt! But Williams' service record with the Coast Guard was intriguing and in the short time he had been with HPD he had made people take notice of his talents.

Steve was interrupted by Ralph Irons walking into his office and sitting down in one of the white armchairs. "Kainoa and Lukela took over the stakeout. They have a vested interest in this."

Steve nodded as he looked at another page.

"Are you reading about our suspects or HPD's man?"

"Both," Steve replied as he handed over Williams' file. "What do you think?"

Ralph's brow furrowed as he pursued the contents. "He's pretty raw for this type of assignment."

"They had to go with someone young."

"Yes, but I could name a dozen guys on the force near Williams' age with at least a year or two of experience."

"Kono fits your criteria but I couldn't see him on this job."

"Point. Besides, this conversation is irrelevant now. HPD made their decision. Do you have anything new on Haku?"

"No," Steve replied as he looked at the other file sitting on his desk. "I just have this sense that she's got something to prove."

"You really believe she's behind all the thefts?" Ralph asked, looking skeptical.

"Yes. Though I want to know how she got the Asari twins to work for her."

Ralph pondered Steve's statement for a moment. "I think the better question is: what is Haku giving them that that they couldn't get on their own? We know they're capable of pulling these jobs so they had to find local help for a reason."

Steve was about to respond to Ralph's insight when the harsh ring of the telephone echoed through the office. "McGarrett."

Henry Kainoa was on the other line and Steve listened attentively while he gave him a report. With the new information relayed, Steve quickly made a decision. "I want enough men to completely seal of that building. We're on our way."

"We got something?"

Steve jumped up and replied to Ralph's question when he was already halfway out the door. "Duke spotted a woman matching Haku's description through one of the windows."

* * *

"Move."

Danny jumped at the sound of Haku's order. Once she saw that the police were outside, Haku had forced them all up to the top story of the building. Danny thought that she was going to make them go out the fire escape, which he knew that HPD would have covered, but now she was interested in the window Danny was standing in front of.

After Danny moved aside, Haku opened the window which looked out over an alley. Looking through the window, he could see through another open window directly in the building across from them. Danny was wondering if she was going to order them to scale down the side of building when the twins took a long wooden board and pushed it out the window so that the other end rested on the other windowsill. The scene that followed, Danny would have sworn was taken straight from a movie if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes: Tetso stepped up on the board and carefully walked across to the other building!

Danny's jaw dropped. _You've got to be kidding me! _

Haku and then Ling followed Tetso across. When Kaiko stepped up he looked back at Danny with a look that gave him no illusion as to what he was supposed to do next. Walking across that board was the last thing that Danny wanted to do but the alternative was staying behind and watching Haku disappear while he was "arrested." In the end, it was really no choice at all as he summoned his courage and placed one foot upon the board.

* * *

The building was surrounded by squad cars with flashing lights, McGarrett had called in enough backup to safely ensure that no one could escape their net but the building Duke was looking at was definitely abandoned. Therefore, Duke, Kainoa, and Five-O were left to try and figure out where they had gone wrong. They had moved in perfectly, guarding all the known exits, only to find an empty building: no car parts, no jewels, and no people. McGarrett, to say the least, was not happy.

Steve turned and caught Lukela in an angry glare as his ire was directed at the HPD detective, "Are you sure you saw them in this building?"

Duke answered calmly, "Yes, Steve."

"Are you positive?"

"One hundred percent. They were in there fifteen minutes ago."

Ralph agreed. "Steve, I followed Williams and Kikeona here. They must have spotted us through a window and left by an exit we weren't aware of."

Steve growled and began pacing. Duke watched as an HPD officer come out the building and walked up the group. Duke took pity on the man who didn't look eager to try and get McGarrett's attention. "Officer Kokua, you have something to report?"

Steve immediately stopped and brought his full attention to the officer who nodded and said, "There's signs that were a lot of boxes stored on the first floor and that they were probably moved out sometime this morning or last night."

"What makes you think that?"

"Scuff marks were boxes were moved and the lack of dust."

"Good job. Tell the men that I want them out of the building until the lab boys have gone over every inch of that place."

"Yes, sir."

As Kokua walked away Chin offered up a theory. "If I was Haku I would have moved the stuff as soon as you picked up Kikeona this morning. If he started talking…"

"Right," Steve agreed. "Kono, contact the airports and harbor patrol. Nothing leaves this rock without being checked."

"Will do, Boss," Kono answered as he turned to leave the scene.

When Steve started up a conversation with Ralph and Chin, Duke looked back towards the building and allowed his thoughts to turn toward the fate of Danny Williams. Was the rookie officer alright? How would he handle himself in a situation where he was cut off from all support? He had been so sure that sending Williams undercover was the answer to solving this case but now the idea seemed foolhardy. Duke had seen Danny's talent and potential and looked over the fact that young man was still very much a rookie cop. They had not prepared Danny for anything like this and Duke prayed that that he would hang in there until they could get him out safely.

Duke looked at his boss standing next to him and knew from his face that Henry was thinking the same things. "Henry," Duke whispered, "what were we thinking?"

* * *

As the sky outside darkened, Danny sat silently against a wall waiting for a signal of what to do next. He had survived his trip walking across a wooden board that had been too many feet in the air. Once everyone was safely in the other building the twins had pulled the board into the room and shut and locked the window behind them. Haku moved quickly from one window to the next, pulling the drapes shut and then gestured for them to sit down.

Hours passed in silence as the group waited in the dark building for the coast to clear. The tension in the room was so thick that Danny could have cut it with a knife. The twins stood apart from everyone else and occasional peaked through a draped window to check on the progress out on the street. Haku looked pensive and dangerous; Danny wished that he had the ability to know what the Hawaiian woman was thinking.

The silence was broken suddenly when one the twins announced that it looked like the police had moved on. Haku walked over to check for herself and seemed satisfied by what she saw outside. Turning around, Haku gestured toward Tomo.

The Japanese man leaned over and Danny saw Haku whisper issue a series of orders into his ear. Tomo's eyes widened in shock as he replied, "You sure?"

"Yes," Haku said firmly as she pressed a wad of money into Tomo's hand.

As Tomo left the room, Haku returned to the position she had kept for their silent wait and no one dared suggest that do anything else. However, Danny noticed that Ling was fidgeting and growing more impatient with every passing minute.

The waiting was just beginning to get too much for Danny when Tomo returned and handed Haku a packet as he whispered several sentences in her ear. At that moment, Danny would have traded his wish for mind reading abilities for the gift of lip-reading.

When Haku made no moves to share the knowledge with the rest of the group, Ling jumped up and shouted, "I'm outta here."

Testo moved between Ling and exit as Haku made a slow deliberate turn towards the Chinese punk and stated firmly, "I don't think so. I find it suspicious that cops showed up right after you appeared on my doorstep."

Danny's heart leapt into his throat. The accusation was directed towards Ling but Danny couldn't help but start to worry. He couldn't afford for Haku to start making connections between his presence and McGarrett's.

Ling didn't take the accusation lightly as he shot back, "Look lady, I didn't go to the fuzz. Those two were ones in chief pig's office, talk to them."

_Crap. _This wasn't going to end well. Danny bit the inside of his lip to keep his worry from showing on his face.

"Kaiko and Mr. Burken work for me. I have it on good grounds that I am not your only employer, Mr. Ling."

The punk's confident façade slipped as he asked, "So?"

Haku walked slowly toward the punk whom seemed to wilt under her glare. "Trust me. Sun Lu would never go to no cops," Ling declared, his voice full of desperation.

"If he didn't than tell me who did." Haku asked as she pulled out a gun and pointed it directed at Ling.

Danny froze as Ling's face became one of terror as he pleaded, "I don't know. It wasn't me. I swear it!"

"I figured as much." Then before Ling had a chance to say another word a bullet lodged firmly in the front of his skull. His eyes remained wide as his body crumpled to the floor. Haku calmly put away the gun as if she had done nothing more strenuous than take a sip of tea.

A full scale riot could have broken out in front of him and Danny would have never noticed with the echoes of the shoot still ringing in his ears and the sight of Ling's body on the floor. He had just witnessed cold blooded murder and had been powerless to stop it. Danny had never killed anyone and so not carrying a weapon on this assignment had never bothered him until now. Now, he felt naked. Now, he felt helpless. Now, for the first time, Danny realized just how danger he was in.

That was not supposed to happen. That was something that he should never encountered in car strippings case. No simple car thief would have that sort of escape plan; no simple car thief would kill a man in cold blood without any remorse. McGarrett was right; this case was about something a lot more important than a few stripped cars.

Danny suppressed a shudder as he looked long and hard at spot on the floor where Ling's body had fallen.

That could have been him.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven: A Long Night**

_Edited by traw_

It was like a bad dream from which Danny couldn't awaken. A day that had started bad was getting worse with every passing minute.

After Haku shot Ling, she had given him and Kaiko a job that was unthinkable. Danny knew that Haku was ruthless but this…this he had never expected. Haku wanted them to kill… No, Haku wanted them to murder…and if Danny tried to back out he feared his answer lay on the ground before him.

Still, this wasn't the theft of a few car parts, the life of another was on the line and he had a duty to protect life, a duty that Danny took to heart. Knowing that it could backfire, Danny gathered his courage and pushed back against this insane idea. "McGarrett's body will bring down a lot of heat."

Haku laughed as if Danny's concern was beneath her. "That the point," she replied, her voice full of condescension. "There is a time when police attention can be quite useful; especially since by the time they regroup I'll be off the island.

"If you haven't figured it out Mr. Burken, I get what I work for. My father didn't believe that, he thought cars were for boys; I proved him wrong. So listen well, for right now what I'm working for requires that the Five-O's attention be away from the docks tomorrow."

Danny realized that Haku's mind was set and he forced himself to respond in an indifferent manner. "I'll buy that but I don't see if how killing the cop will help."

"All I need is either McGarrett distracted or dead, because it doesn't matter who my little poison takes. One convenient death and I'll leave Hawaii a rich woman. Do this job for me and you won't have to worry about money for a long time."

Danny knew that he had no other options. If he didn't agree to help, Kaiko would simply do the job alone. "Okay," Danny said. "But when you leave, I'm coming with you. There's no way I'm staying on this rock after I've killed a cop."

"Good." Haku threw a small packet towards Danny which he caught and tucked into his pants' pocket. "Here's what you are going to do…"

As Danny listened carefully to Haku's instructions, he considered ways that he would be able to extract himself from Kaiko and warn McGarrett. For there had already been too much blood spilled tonight and Danny wasn't about to add to the tally; his cover wasn't worth another's life.

* * *

It was a late night in the office but Steve wasn't going to stop working while an officer was missing and he knew that his men were of the same mind. Chin was marking the locations of the stripped cars on the big map of Honolulu trying to see if there was a central location for them to search. Ralph was out of the office, tracking down on a lead he'd received on Haku's identity. And Kono was on the phone with HPD seeing if they had made any progress on their end.

Steve stood several paces behind Chin, watching him push the pins into the board. He kept going over the same facts in his head and ending up with the same conclusions he had reached earlier. The problem was several facts didn't make sense; car parts were worth small change compared to what was stolen from the three jewelry stores. So why wouldn't these connections go away?

Kono hung up and Steve quickly called out, "Any word on Williams?"

"None, boss. You think he's in trouble?"

"I don't know, Kono. This whole case has been nothing but trouble."

"Henry seems pretty worried. I think he's feeling guilty 'bout sending Williams into dis mess."

_He's not the only one_, Steve thought to had been the one who ordered the raid assuming that they would be able to catch Haku and that Williams would be safe.

"Steve, I got a name on Haku." Ralph reported as soon walked through the big doors.

"Go."

"Mary Kikeona." We got lucky on our APB on the Asari twins. A bartender in Pearl City remembers them meeting Kikeona about a month ago. He didn't hear what they were talking about but it looked like they made some sort of deal."

"How positive was he on the identification?"

"Positive; that scar is pretty distinctive. Her father used to be a regular customer until the bartender kicked him out after he found what he did to his daughter."

"Did her father made that scar?"

"Yes. Child Protective Services has quite a file on her. Apparently, the father is where both Kikeonas learned their skills with cars. He ran a mechanic shop."

"The older sister," Steve stated. "How did we miss this?"

"Easy, Boss," Kono answered, "CPS only gave us information on Kaiko and his file didn't say anything 'bout a sister."

Ralph supported Kono. "I had to threaten to get a court order to get Mary's information. Steve, you know how government agencies work, they only give us the information they have to not what might actually help."

Steve resisted the urge to swear; they could have made a lot of progress if they had known this earlier. Pushing thoughts of government inefficiently from his mind, Steve pondered the new information. Mary and Josh Kikeona. Haku and Kaiko. Steve found it interesting that they went by Hawaiian names and wondered aloud as to the reason.

"Mary and Josh never were their names." Kono stated with no hesitation.

"Explain."

Ralph spoke up, "The Act to Regulate Names signed by King Kamehameha requires that all Hawaiians take a 'Christian' first name."

"Requires…" Steve mused. "You mean it's still the law today?"

"Yes," Kono answered and Steve heard a touch of anger in his voice,

"Then how…" Steve began to ask as he looked at his Hawaiian detective.

"Some of us reject them."

Steve pondered what Kono told him. There was no denying that the Hawaiian people had suffered much when they were colonized but he hadn't heard of this before even though it explained why so many Hawaiians had English names. However, Kono was proof that not all used them. Realizing that Kono must have another name under this law, Steve considered asking but he quickly changed his mind. Learning his detective's birth name would mean nothing, because it wasn't his name, Kono was.

Looking over at his second-in-command, Steve brought the conversation back to their case as he stated, "Tell me why a woman who has got good racket going with a couple of professionals sees the need to enlist her brother to organize kids off the street to strip a bunch of cars."

Ralph shrugged. "Somehow I don't think it's to keep her brother out of her hair."

"Haku's too good to settle for change from stolen parts," Chin reasoned. "She's running those gangs like a big time boss."

"Right," Steve agreed. He started snapping his fingers as a thought hit him. "Chin, if you were paying somebody to smuggle something off this rock how much would it cost?"

"That would depend but I'd estimate about a third of what each load is worth."

"Suppose, just suppose that I wanted to smuggle several hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of jewelry out of these islands. It might worth my time to convince the guy I hired to get the stuff out to think he's hauling hot car parts inside of diamonds."

"That would make over half of Haku's operation a cover to save a few dollars."

"More than a few dollars, Bruddah. Thousands," Kono stated.

Steve slapped his hand down on his desk. "That's it, gentlemen. That's it."

Ralph called out sarcastically from his place by the wall, "So we find the car parts, we find the jewels. Shouldn't be too hard, HPD has only been looking for over a month."

* * *

The night was eerily quiet as Danny crouched in bushes beside the Iolani Palace. The area was secluded except for a few security guards walking around and the lights shining in one of the offices suggested that someone was up late.

"Danno," Kaiko hissed.

"Yeah."

"Problem. Ya see da lights; I think dere from da fuzz's office. Da pig's workin' late again."

Danny wanted to smile; maybe things weren't so bad after all since apparently McGarrett had a habit of working late. If he could only lose Kaiko, warning McGarrett wouldn't be a problem. Looking carefully around the palace, Danny considered his options as he answered. "We can hide inside, wait until the cop goes home, and then enter his office."

"If ya think so."

"I'm sure. It's the guards I'm not sure of."

Kaiko smirked as he asked sarcastically, "What, ya 'fraid ya can't out-smart da fuzz again?"

Danny didn't like where Kaiko's thoughts were going. If he got stuck with distraction duty, he would have to give Kaiko the packet of poison which was something he would never do. Desperately, Danny tried to savage the situation. "I don't think these guards would be fooled by a drunk haole. They'll just think I'm a tourist. They're looking out for people trying to break…" Danny stopped midsentence as an idea hit him. "Kaiko, do you think you can climb that wall?"

Kaiko looked to where Danny was pointing. "No problem."

Danny long a deep breath and quickly outlined his plan. "You climb up one of lanais but make some noise. When the guard investigates, you run and I'll sneak in the front door. I'll find a place to hide and wait til the cop goes home."

The Hawaiian looked at Danny for a few moments before answering, "Will do. Ya meet me here when ya done."

After Danny agreed to do so, the two of them quickly split up and Danny quietly sneaked as close to the entrance as he dared. Once Danny stopped moving, he didn't have to wait long until he spotted a figure climbing up the side of the building. It only took a few seconds for Kaiko's actions to be noticed by the guard a few feet from Danny as he called out and moved to confront the intruder.

With the only guard between Danny and door distracted, he was able to dart into the palace with ease. Once inside, he was able to move through the halls without any problem, slipping into Five-O's outer office. It was only when he looked at the partially open door into McGarrett's domain that Danny froze. The events of the past few days and hours weighed down on him. Danny fingered the packet of poison in his pocket, how could explain this to McGarrett?

Steve was trying to pay attention to the conversation between Ralph and Chin debating on how Haku would attempt to leave the island but he was more concerned about HPD's undercover officer. Would Haku blame the raid on Williams? Steve didn't know enough about the kid to begin to consider how he would react in a situation that went south, yet his gut was telling him that HPD had picked the right man. Then thinking that he heard footsteps, Steve sat up straight and held out a hand to silence his detectives.

When he heard the noise again, Steve's hand rested on his firearm as he called out, "Who's there?"

A shadow stepped timidly into the light of his office. Steve recognized the officer as he answered, "Danny Williams."

Steve looked critically at the young officer. Gone was the arrogance, the cocky attitude of his cover. Williams looked tired, stressed, worn; his eyes were darting around the office as if he expected the shadows to jump out at him.

Steve frowned; Williams was clearly shaken by something that had happened. Gesturing toward an empty chair, he ordered, "Take a seat."

Danny slowly sat down. Steve caught sight of Kono and Chin grabbing chairs of their own as to not intimidate the scared cop. Ralph, leaning back against the wall, decided to try and lighten the mood. "I'm not as young as the rest of you. If we're going to pull an all-nighter I need more coffee. Anyone want some?"

Steve would have voiced an affirmative except at the word coffee Williams started and looked like he wanted to jump from the chair. Glancing over at his second-in-command, Steve saw that Ralph noticed as well.

"I think you should tell me why you're here."

Wordlessly, Williams tossed a packet onto his desk.

"What is this?"

"Poison." Williams spoke in soft voice barely above a whisper. "Haku wants to move the goods and she believes that the death of someone in this office is necessary to get police attention away from the docks tomorrow."

Poison, and that it was in Williams hands could only mean that he had received the order. No wonder he was shaken. Steve took a sharp breath. "How?"

"Brush it on the inside of your coffee pot."

Kono cursed and Ralph actually dropped his coffee mug.

"Do you know where they're at now?"

"No, they left when we did. Kaiko and I are supposed to meet up with one of twins who will take us to where we'll spend the night."

"Kaiko?"

"Outside, waiting on me. I convinced him to distract the guards so I could sneak in before the building is locked up for the night."

Steve was impressed that Williams managed to find a way to warn him without losing his cover. However, Steve didn't have time to praise the young officer continued as he continued his questioning, "Do you know where the goods are hidden?"

"They're already loaded on the ship but I don't know the name or the harbor."

Those were not the answers Steve wanted to hear. Haku was being careful and Steve knew that if something went wrong she's patiently wait for another time. He needed to catch her with the goods, tomorrow. But to do that he would have to send the Williams back into the lion's den.

Williams continued his report, "Six of us got away from the police: Haku, the twins, Kaiko, another gang leader and myself. When we were safely away, Haku lost it. She shot Ling for betraying her without any proof. She knows things are falling apart and she's lashing out." Steve heard Williams voice shake as he continued, "If you don't catch her the next time you move in I don't what she'll do."

In laymen's terms, Williams was no longer safe and Steve had to decide if solving this case was worth risking another's life. Williams was a police officer who knew the risks when he took the job but when he started this case he was investigating simple theft. Now they were looking at murder and attempted murder; the stakes had changed and Steve was as determined as ever to bring Haku in. Steve needed Williams to return but he owed the young officer a chance to back out.

With that thought in mind, Steve looked gently at the young man sitting before him and uttered one just word. "Danno."

Williams's gang-given nickname came out of his mouth before Steve could stop it and he wasn't entirely sure why. He knew that the officer's name was Danny and that this was definitely not the time to tease, except all of Steve's instincts were telling him that the name he spoke was right one.

Danny met Steve's concerned gaze.

Steve looked straight into the wide blue eyes of the shaken officer before him and asked seriously, "You want out?"

The room was silent as Danny looked into Steve's eyes. For all the stories Danny had heard about McGarrett being a man of unbending steel, Danny could honestly say that he had never looked into the eyes of man that held more kindness and concern than at that moment. Looking into McGarrett's eyes, Danny saw the knowledge and found comfort in the fact that this was a man who would back him one hundred percent in whatever decision he made.

Danny took a deep breath and answered honestly. "Yes, I'd like out but I want these guys caught more. I can hold up one more day." Danny didn't say that he would be running on nothing but pure will but part of him figured that anyone would understand that it would be Steve McGarrett.

Honest and tired but determined to stick through to the end; Steve couldn't help but like this kid. If Danno said he could last twenty-four more hours he would believe him.

"Okay." Pointing at the couch, Steve ordered, "Go lie down for and get some rest. You won't do us any good if you're dead on your feet tomorrow."

Steve knew that made the right decision when Williams didn't speak but instead he moved over to the couch without complaint. Gesturing to his team, Steve led the others into the outer office.

No sooner than the door shut behind him did Steve jump into action. "Ralph, get on the horn with HPD and set up another tail. And this time we can't afford to lose him.

"Kono, wake Che up. We need to know what's in this packet and what it does by sunrise. He'll complain but make sure he meets you at the lab at HPD. No one is allowed to return to the palace until I say so."

"On it, Steve."

Steve looked down at his hands and only then realized that he had carried his empty coffee mug out with him.

Chin noticed his boss's gaze and said, "You have to admit, boss, if someone wanted to get us, the coffee pot was the right choice."

"Right."

Ralph looked up from his desk and called out, "Got a hold of Henry. He's putting together a team at HPD."

"Go and give me a call here when everything's ready."

Alone in office with Steve, Chin pulled out his pipe and lit it, pretending not to notice the grimace that crossed Steve's face. Though Chin did note the way Steve was looking at his closed office door.

"You know, Steve, if I didn't know you better I'd say you have a soft spot for the officer in there."

"Danno? No."

"Then why do you keep calling him Danno?"

Steve shot Chin an evil look before he conceded that he was right. "He reminds me a bit of myself at his age. Besides, he's in way over his head."

_Too true_, Chin thought to himself. "Then why send him back?"

Steve sat in silence for a long time; long enough that Chin wondered if he forgot or didn't hear the original question. When Steve final spoke it was with a question of his own. "How many times when we were at our physical and mental limits have we pushed through until the case was solved?"

"Too many if you ask my wife."

Steve chuckled briefly before answering seriously. "Call it a hunch but I think that Danno's made of the same stuff that I see in you, Ralph, and Kono. He'll see this case through to the end."

They were interpreted by the telephone ringing which Steve answered. Chin leaned back in his chair and reflected on what Steve had told him. Steve's words had a ring of truth about them, and Chin could see that there was something special about this kid. What was odd, however, was that while Steve was known for his loyalty to those who served under him, affection was something new. _Or maybe something you never noticed before._

Chin watched as his boss hung up the phone and asked, "Everything ready?"

Steve nodded. "We're going to wait ten minutes, wake Danno up then get out of here. With a little luck we'll be able to close this case tomorrow."

* * *

It had been easy to sit silently in McGarrett's office for twenty minutes before sneaking out of the palace. It had been harder to walk up to Kaiko with a confident air in his step and tell him that the job was done. It had been nerve-wracking sitting calmly in the back seat of a car knowing that everything depended on Five-O successfully tailing them. By the time Danny walked into some rented dump it took every ounce of will he had to maintain his cover until he could collapse on a moth-eaten coach.

Tomorrow this would be over, one way or another. He just had to place his faith in McGarrett.

* * *

_AN: The Act to Regulate Names was signed in 1860 and wasn't repealed until 1967._


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve: Smugglers Meet Spies **

_Edited by traw_

"Look at this."

Danny groaned as the sharp light penetrated his previously closed eyes. Kaiko's shout woke him from the few hours of sleep that he was surprised he had managed to get. "What is it?"

"Success."

"What?" Danny asked as he tried to clear the haze of sleep from his mind.

"Watch," Kaiko ordered as he pointed at the TV.

Danny sat up and the situation came quickly back to him as he watched the report. The television showed ambulance attendants carrying a gurney down the steps of the Iolani Palace. A reporter was stating that initial reports said something had happened in Five-O office but authorities were not releasing any additional information at this time.

"Ya think ya knocked off da top pig?"

Danny shrugged. "Who knows? It doesn't matter anyway."

"Correct."

Danny turned toward the voice and saw Haku standing behind him with a triumphant look on her face. She continued, "You should listen to Mr. Burken, kaikaina. We just needed Five-O distracted. We leave in five minutes."

"'Ae, kaikuahine," Kaiko replied, rolling his eyes once Haku left the room.

Danny turned to Kaiko. "She's your sister?"

"Yeah, but she acts like my mother. Ya ready, Brah?"

Danny jumped up, faking energy that he did not have. "You bet."

* * *

Steve sat motionless watching the same scene that was being shown on many televisions across Oahu from the driver's seat of his Mercury sedan. As the gurney was loaded onto the ambulance, Steve remembered the shocked look on May's face when he told her what he needed her to do. Steve took it as a sign of her dedication that she had accepted the job with only a few complaints.

"Do ya think Haku will fall for this?" Kono asked as the ambulance sped away.

"You'll be surprised, Kono, how little people question things when they believe that they are going their way. When suspects believe that they have won that is when they let their guard down long enough for us to grab them."

"Central to McGarrett."

Steve reached down and grabbed the mike. "McGarrett."

"Steve, the Kikeonas, Williams, and an Asari twin are in a car heading toward Kulolia."

"Follow them, Ralph. I want that ship."

Steve heard laughter on the other end of the mike. "What's so funny?"

"Just that we started this case as a bunch of cops chasing a couple of thieves and now it feels like we're a group of spies trying to trap a gang of smugglers," Ralph joked.

Playing along, Steve replied, "Well, Mister Bond. Let's keep our smugglers in sight."

Ralph kept laughing. "If I'm Bond that makes you M."

Steve's patience for joking around was starting to reach its limit. "Just don't loss them," he ordered.

"Right, Steve," Ralph replied seriously.

Steve set down the mike and saw Kono shaking with mirth beside him and sent him a questioning look.

"Nothin', Boss," Kono answered with a big grin.

Steve didn't press. The things he did to keep his men happy.

* * *

It was a quiet and uneventful ride from their hiding place to the docks and Danny was thankful for that. When the van door openly, Danny stepped out into bright Hawaiian sun and looked at the big cargo ship that somewhere in it held everything that Five-O and HPD had spent the past month looking for.

Danny saw a rare grin on Haku's face as she looked at that ship. "Tetso," she ordered, "go tell the captain that we are ready to leave."

Tetso nodded and jogged up the ship's ramp. Haku walked behind him with Danny and Kaiko following. As his feet hit the metal surface, Danny prayed that Five-O wasn't far behind him or he'd be taking an unexpected trip to the mainland.

When Danny was halfway up the ramp he heard the welcome noise of tires squealing and doors slamming and he knew before he turned around that the cavalry had arrived.

"What the…?" Kaiko cried out beside him as he looked down at the pier.

The man that Danny recognized as McGarrett's second-in-command stood behind the closest squad car and raised a bullhorn to his mouth. "Attention. This is the police. Put your hands up and come down the ramp slowly."

Danny froze and raised his hands into the air. He was about to give silent thanks that this ordeal was finally over when a quick glance at scene told him it was anything but. Haku and Kaiko weren't moving. Tetso stood still at the top and ramp and Tomo was nowhere in sight. When Danny realized that he was the only one to raise his hands he slowly lowered them back down.

Haku stared down at the array of law enforcement spread out on the pier. "Don't you have anything better to do than harass a lady?" she asked calmly.

"You're no lady, miss. Now put your hands on your head," the older detective ordered.

"Shouldn't you be worried about your boss?"

Almost as if he was waiting for that cue, McGarrett stepped into their line of sight and grabbed the bullhorn which he quickly put into use. "Now why would you think that something happen to me, Ms. Kikeona?"

"It was a logical conclusion from watching the morning news and seeing you not here. So did your secretary have a heart-attack?"

"Enough talk. Put your hands on your head and walk down the ramp."

"You can't order me around, McGarrett." Then looking at her men Haku ordered, "Kaiko, Burken, up the ramp."

Unsure of what to do, Danny risked a quick glance at McGarrett and he instantly knew that he had made a mistake. Before Danny could look away he felt the cold hard metal of a knife held against his throat. "Don't move," a cold voice ordered. Looking at its owner, Danny saw the livid hatred in Kaiko's eyes; he would kill him if he had the chance.

Haku drew a gun as she looked down at McGarrett with the confident air of someone in control. Meeting her gaze, McGarrett called out again, "Drop your weapons or we'll open fire."

Haku calmly replied, "I don't think so. Not unless you want to kill your man."

Danny's heart sunk; they had everything set up perfectly to catch Haku red-handed and he had let his cover slip at the most critical moment. Danny saw his fellow officers with their guns raised; they were prepared to make a move but didn't dare out of concern for his life. The two sides were at a standstill and it was his fault. Danny had never felt more helpless; his life was literally on a knife's edge. Yet, Danny couldn't just stand there and hope that McGarrett would find a way to save him, he had to do something.

When Danny saw out of corner of his eye the sun glinting off of what appeared to be rifle on the ship he knew that that he had to act now. Throwing aside thoughts of his own safety, Danny twisted away from the knife and dove toward Haku's gun. The Hawaiian woman spotted him and turned to bring her gun into a line of fire which caused Danny to miss her and run straight into the ramp's railing. The sound of gunshots rang in Danny's ears as his momentum propelled him over the railing and into the water.

The sight of Haku firing and Danno's body falling toward the water barely registered before Steve aimed his weapon and rapidly fired two quick shots at Haku's torso. The woman's calm face turned into shock as the bullets hit her. Her body crumpled to the ground as Steve looked towards the ship where he had spotted a gunman earlier. Steve quickly spotted the rifle next to a fallen body and knew that one of HPD's sharpshooters must have gotten him.

Kono, Chin, and Ralph had sprinted up the ramp as soon as the first shot had gone off. When Steve spotted them, Kono and Chin were placing handcuffs on Kaiko's wrists and Ralph held Tetso Asari at gunpoint. Confident that his men had things under control, Steve looked to where Danno had fallen.

A crowd of HPD men were gathered at the dock's edge and Steve allowed himself a quick sigh of relief when he spotted a head of curly hair swimming in the water. As he watched, Duke Lukela reached down and pulled a wet, but otherwise unharmed, Danny Williams onto the dock.

Reassured that the undercover officer was in one piece, Steve's relief was quickly replaced with anger. Diving toward that gun was reckless, stupid, and irresponsible; just because Danno was impersonating a punk didn't mean that he had to think like one.

When the officer came to his feet, Steve stormed over to the dock's edge. Danno was wearing the slight grin of one who was grateful to be alive and was taking some good natured teasing from his fellow officers. Williams looked at Steve expectantly when he saw him approach but Steve wasn't going to encourage the behavior he had seen. "Officer Williams," Steve demanded, "what were you thinking?"

"I…" the shocked officer stuttered, the grin disappearing from his face.

"You weren't. I hope that's what you were trying to say." Not in the mood to hear Williams' excuses, Steve turned and walked back toward his men before Danny could answer.

Ralph was waiting for him at the foot of the ramp and launched into a status report as Steve approached. "Haku is dead. Tomo Asari was hit but it looks like he'll make it. The rest of the ship's crew is pleading ignorance about the jewels, saying their only extra cargo is a few car parts. I think the captain will be surprised when we show him the diamonds. How's Williams?"

"Fine," Steve answered. "Finish up here for me. I'm heading back to the office.

As Steve stormed off, Kono came over and stood next to Ralph. "What's wrong with da boss?"

"I'm not sure," the older man replied as Steve disappeared into the distance.

* * *

Danny stood still, avoiding the stares of his fellow officers. He was angry at McGarrett for publically berating him but angrier at himself for messing up. What possessed him to think it was a good idea to look at McGarrett for orders or to dive for Haku's gun when he was surrounded by back-up?

Lost in his thoughts, Danny barely even noticed when Duke came up and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. The detective didn't say anything, he just supported him with his presence and for that Danny was grateful.

Danny probably would have stood there forever expect Lieutenant Kainoa walked over, took one look at him, and said, "Williams, come with me."

Danny followed obediently, keeping his eyes on the back of the detective's suit jacket. Opening his car door, Kainoa gestured for him to take a seat. Danny hadn't realized how much he had needed to sit until he felt his body's relief after he settled himself in the passenger seat. He had been through a lot and his body simply needed the opportunity to do nothing.

When Danny didn't hear the car door shut behind him, he turned his head and saw Kainoa leaning against the open door. The Lieutenant's eyes were looking kindly down upon him as he began to speak, "Look, kid, don't beat yourself up over this. You succumbed to an instinct that's been drilled into you for years: check with your superiors. You're not in trouble, Danny. McGarrett's mad because you could have been killed. I say you're alive, learn your lesson and move on. You made a mistake most rookies and many senior officers would have made. The question is what do you do now? You can do more than spend your career walking a beat if you wish."

Danny shrugged not trusting himself to answer. It was odd, before he had been given this assignment he had desperately wanted to have Kainoa's support and approval. But now, after facing McGarrett's disapproval, Kainoa's words meant nothing.

Kainoa, however, kept pressing, "Danny, you did good work on this case. You handled more than we imagined when we gave you this assignment and you handled it well."

"I…" Danny began. "I don't know what to say."

Danny doubted that his answer would be enough but it was really all he could say. The last twenty minutes had happened so fast that he was still trying to process how it had all happened: from HPD arriving, to Kaiko threatening to kill him, to angry look on McGarrett's face when he came out of the water. What did one say after all of that?

Kainoa seemed to accept that answer and turned towards Duke as he walked over to the car. "Duke, did you bring Danny's things?"

"Got them right here." Duke smiled encouraging as he handed over keys and a small bag to the dejected officer. Danny nodded in thanks as Kainoa closed his door and walked over to the driver's seat. When Kainoa started the car, Danny anticipated more conversation but the drive back to his apartment happened in silence much to Danny's relief. When the car was parked, Danny stepped out onto the sidewalk, grateful to be home.

As Danny turned to say goodbye, Kainoa gave one last order. "Come by my office tomorrow morning. There's some paperwork and other odds and ends to finish up. After that I'd say you've earned a couple days of vacation."

"Thank you, Lieutenant," Danny said and then turned and walked into his apartment building.

When Danny walked in the front door of his apartment in was like he was walking into a whole new world. He had only been away for about two weeks yet it felt like a lifetime. It was weird to know that he was home, that he didn't have to pretend to be anyone but Dan Williams.

After changing into dry clothes, Danny walked over to his fridge and pulled out a beer. As he sat down in an armchair his mind returned to what happened on the dock, to the look on Haku's face when she decided that she wasn't going to go down without a fight…

Danny shuddered as he realized that he had almost died on that ramp. Kaiko could have slit his throat, Haku's bullet could have hit him, and the fall could have killed him. Was Kainoa right? Was McGarrett really just angry because he had almost been killed?

_Officer Williams, what were you thinking?_

What had he been thinking?

_You weren't. I hope that's what you were trying to say._

But he had been thinking…that was the problem. Danny had convinced himself up on that ship that he had to find the way out of his own mess so he had acted of his own initiative. So why were McGarrett's words bugging him so much?

Danny took another sip of beer and tried to convince himself to relax. He had succeeded in finding the source of the thefts, Kainoa wasn't upset, and he would probably never have to work with McGarrett again. But Danny found no comfort in those thoughts because he knew that something deep inside of himself wanted McGarrett to be proud of him.

The truth was that it didn't matter that he had succeeded at everything else. He had failed to earn the one thing he really wanted: McGarrett's approval.

* * *

Steve fumed as he drove through downtown Honolulu. Why was he letting that kid bug him so much?

The case was over, the thieves were caught, and the jewels recovered. Five-O had done its duty and his men had conducted themselves well. So why was he continuing to obsess over Danno? It had been well within Steve's right, and he would argue his duty, to reprimand Danno's reckless behavior but why couldn't he just leave it at that? Danno was HPD's problem; Chief Dann and Kainoa would have to decide what to do with the talented but impulsive officer. If the kid didn't learn and got himself killed it wouldn't be his fault.

Fault…

No, it wasn't Steve's fault that Danno had acted recklessly but he was responsible for sending the undercover officer back into the middle of the action. And when Steve had seen Danno fall over the railing he had been certain that he had gotten the young man killed.

_I never should have started thinking of him as Danno_, Steve thought as he pulled into his parking space outside of the Iolani Palace.

Danno had…

_Williams_, he berated himself. Steve needed to think of the young officer by his real name. Williams had knowingly put himself at risk when he agreed to return but Steve was responsible for letting him go.

The truth was that the kid had saved his life last night and then almost lost his own this morning, because Steve sent him back. He should have known that the rookie officer wouldn't have stood by if things went south. Williams had proved that last night when he risked his cover to save the lives of those in the Five-O office.

As he jogged up the stairs, Steve knew that he had to make a choice. He could ignore the officer and hope that Williams learned the lessons on his own or he could guide him, talk to him, and take him under his wing… Steve could pay back the debt that he owed him

_If I do this I won't able to think of him as anything but Danno._

Was that really such a bad thing?

Steve's thoughts gave him pause. He had admitted to Chin that he had seen a bit of himself in Williams but the question remained: did he dare get involved? Did he have any choice?

By the time Steve walked into the Five-O office he had made up his mind. "May, call HPD and let them know that when Williams comes into work tomorrow I want to meet with him in my office."


	13. Chapter 13

_AN: As my story draws to a close, I want to thank you all for taking the time to read what I have had to offer. I hope that you have enjoyed reading my story as much as I've enjoyed writing it. A special thank you to those you left reviews and to my beta who went above and beyond the call of duty to teach me pidgin in addition to looking out for those pesky mistakes. Mahalo nui loa. _

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: Respect**

_Edited by traw_

As Duke walked through the halls of HPD it was with a lighter step and brighter mood than he had for awhile. To be honest, Duke hadn't realized how much the stress of the past case was getting to him until he woke up this morning refreshed from knowing that it was all over expect for the paperwork.

And on a day like today, Duke wasn't going to let the prospect of mounds of paperwork ruin his mood. Besides, he'd let Williams fill some of it out. After some time out in the field, Duke figured that the kid would benefit from learning about desk side of police work.

Duke slipped into his Henry's office and was surprised to find his boss sitting alone at his desk looking over some report. "Morning. Where's Williams?"

Setting down the file, Henry replied, "McGarrett wanted to debrief him."

Any disappointment Duke had over not having Williams around to help with the paperwork quickly faded as he pondered how that conservation was going. McGarrett could be intimidating to veteran cops with ten years on the force let alone a rookie with a few weeks. McGarrett had made his displeasure at Williams' actions known yesterday so had Steve asked for Williams' presence in order to further correct the deviant behavior? If so, Duke wondered if the kid's confidence could handle it; he hadn't taken McGarrett's disapproval well yesterday. Duke hoped the department didn't lose Williams over one mistake, even if the mistake had been a significant one, because the kid didn't strike Duke as someone who refused to learn from his errors.

Duke was jolted out of his thoughts when Henry announced. "I have some good news. The ship's captain has been more than willing to cooperate with us. It appears that he's more than a little upset that Haku tried to cut him out of his proper commission."

Duke nodded in agreement. "Hiding the jewels in stolen car parts was a nasty trick."

Henry softly chuckled. "The captain didn't like it when I mentioned that his actions meant that he cutting the State of Hawaii out of her proper commission."

Duke was pleased at Henry's news even though he wasn't surprised for Tetso Asari had been a wealth of information last night. Asari had wanted to place the blame for all of the serious crimes at the feet of the late Haku Kikeona. According to Asari, a mutual friend had introduced them when they came to the islands and she had given them a plan for a heist that they couldn't resist. Other inquires discovered that Haku had been secretly in a few of criminal organizations based in Pearl City which explained the mutual friend. The stolen car parts were to be equal parts - distraction and cover. Though the smuggling did explain why the gangs were getting a better return on the parts they sold, Haku wasn't looking to make any profit on the parts. She was just paying for something that she needed quickly.

It was amazing how a plan that gave them so many headaches and stress had made sense once they had all the pieces. But the credit for discovering the crucial pieces belonged to Danny Williams and Duke hoped that the young officer would be able to see that after he returned from facing McGarrett's temper.

However, Duke couldn't keep his concerns off his mind as wondered aloud, "I hope Steve doesn't scare the kid too bad."

Henry looked at him and the big man's gaze softened as he stated confidently, "I don't think he will."

Duke just hoped that Henry was right.

* * *

It was ridiculous, Dan Williams felt like a little kid too afraid to walk into the principal's office as he stood before the secretary in the outer Five-O office. Seemingly oblivious to his nervousness, the woman smiled sweetly as said, "Go on in. He's expecting you."

Danny nodded and opened the door into McGarrett's domain; there was no backing out now. Entering the room, Danny saw that the French doors were wide open and that McGarrett was standing outside. McGarrett gestured him over and Danny walked past the Chinese detective who as deeply engrossed in some papers at the side desk in the room and joined McGarrett out on the lanai.

Standing tall and attempting to look more confident than he felt Danny removed his HPD cap and reported in. "Officer Dan Williams as requested, sir."

Danny caught a flicker of amusement in McGarrett's eyes at his words but it quickly passed as the detective studied him, making him grateful that he was in his HPD uniform instead of the raggedy street clothes he had been wearing undercover.

"Why did you become a cop?"

McGarrett's question shocked him; it was definitely not a question Danny had prepared for. Excuses, explanations, and apologies for his actions yesterday ran out of his mind as he considered his answer.

The long answer would involve his life story so Danny decided to try a shorter answer first. "I didn't set out to become a cop. It just sort of happened."

McGarrett remained silent waiting for him to continue. Danny sighed; he didn't like talking about his past but McGarrett wasn't going to give him a choice. "My Dad died when I was young so my Mom raised me.

"I was seventeen when she died. Afterwards, I moved to California to live with my Aunt and graduated high school. I needed money for college so I joined the Coast Guard. Four years of active duty service for free tuition sounded like a good deal to me. After I finished basic training, it was decided that I should attend the Maritime Academy and study law enforcement. I graduated and served on a cutter for two years."

"Why only two?" McGarrett asked. "You said the commitment was for four."

"I was injured when a firefight broke out on a ship we were boarding. The injury was serious enough that I was given an honorable discharge."

If Danny closed his eyes he would have been able to recall the incident perfectly; he had drawn his service revolver but never got an opportunity to use it. Not wanting to dwell on that incident he continued, "They told me that I'd never be able to walk normally again."

As Danny looked out across the lawn, memories of waking up in the hospital, the tests, and the doctors bombarded him. The view was beautiful and at that moment Danny understood why McGarrett wanted to have this conversation out on the lanai. There was something about the beauty of the landscape that provided him with some calm and peace of mind as he continued, "I was determined to prove them wrong.

"I studied psychology at the University of Hawaii while I went through psychical therapy. By the end of the first semester I was walking without a limp, a few months later I could run, and by the end of the year it was like I had never been injured. As soon as I got the clearance from my doctors I transferred to Berkeley and changed my major to police science. I graduated in May and joined HPD a few weeks ago."

"And did you learn anything from that injury?"

Danny blinked several times as he considered the question, "Sorry?"

"Your injury in the Coast Guard was an accident, a consequence of the risks of your job. When you threw yourself in front of that gun you could have been seriously injured or worse and you would have had no one to blame but yourself. And this time you might have not been able to rehab yourself back into shape. There were plenty of men there, prepared for that situation. You sat in my chair last night and told me this might happen, did you think I wasn't listening?"

Danny gulped. There was no good answer to that question but luckily McGarrett didn't wait for him to come up with one.

"Trust, Officer Williams. You have to learn to trust those you work with or you'll be a danger to yourself and those around you. There are enough risks in this line of work without you adding unnecessary ones to them."

Danny's mind whirled. He had been ready for this lecture when he walked in the door but McGarrett had knocked him off guard, brought done the walls he built around himself. But even with his emotions in a whirlwind, Danny managed to realize a few things.

"You already knew my story, didn't you?"

Danny knew by the quick widening of McGarrett's eyes that his question had surprised the veteran cop and that his observation had been correct.

"Yes," McGarrett admitted. "And I noticed that you left out quite a bit. You didn't mention that your father was killed during WWII or that your mother's death was at the hands of alleged drunk driver."

Danny tensed; he had purposely left those details out. "I'm not looking for sympathy."

"I didn't say you were. But can you honestly tell me that those two events had no bearing on your decision to become a cop?"

Danny looked away. To answer that question was something he was not prepared to do. It was too personal; even after all these years his parent's deaths were too close to his heart. However, Danny hadn't lied; he was not looking for sympathy, he was looking for justice that he know would never find. The war was over and dwelt with powers beyond any one man's control and as for the nameless, faceless driver that killed his mother…

He would never bring her killer to justice but he could dedicate his life to make sure others were.

Steve's eyes narrowed as he studied as he studied the young man standing next to him. It looked like some of what he was saying was getting through.

"As a cop, it's your job to learn to take calculated risks. Williams, you have the dedication a good officer needs, talent that must men will never see, and with your willingness to work hard you have the potential to be a great asset to this force."

Shocked by the praise, Danny was about to thank McGarrett but the older detective wasn't done.

"But you are also too stubborn for your own good and your impulsive streak has got to go."

Steve let his harsh words echo before softening his voice. "Williams, I'm saying this as a man who seen too many good young lives wasted. There are two places that cops like you end up and the most likely option is the morgue."

Steve paused for a moment in hope that his message was sinking in. "Understand?"

"Yes, sir," Danny answered, his voice barely above a whisper. "And the other the other place?"

"Add some discretion to your thought process and you'll find out. Dismissed."

Steve expected Williams to protest but the young officer simply straightened and placed his cap on his head before heading toward the door. It bothered Steve that even when he was mad at him the kid still found ways to impress him. Maybe he was going soft but Steve couldn't let Williams leave disappointed. "Danno," he called out, making the officer look back. "Good luck."

A quick expression of shock showed on the officer's face before he recovered. "Thanks…Steve."

Steve couldn't help but smile after Danno left the room. If he took his advice, and Steve had a strong suspicion that he would, Danny Williams was going to make a fine cop one of these days.

Across the room, Chin spoke up for the first time. "Give Steve, where's the other place that dedicated, talented, hardworking, yet stubborn and impulsive cops end up?"

Steve grinned evilly, "Chin, I'm surprised that a good detective like you would have to ask."

Chin frowned but when he looked up at his dedicated, talented, and hardworking boss who happened to be extremely stubborn and more than a little impulsive at times the answer quickly fell into place.

* * *

Danny slowly slid into the seat of his car and put the key in the ignition but he didn't turn it on. He needed time to think. Part of him burned at McGarrett's critiques and another part dwelled on McGarrett wishing him luck.

Danny had walked into McGarrett's office hoping for praise and expecting a dressing down but he received something much more valuable in return: respect.

McGarrett respected him enough to rebuke him, to give him an honest critique of abilities. How many people had he known to do that? How many in McGarrett's position of power would be so willing to teach? Danny hoped that this case wouldn't be the last time he got to work with the man because Dan Williams knew that there was a lot more he could learn from Steve McGarrett.

As Danny drove off into the distance, little did he know that Steve was watching him go and hoping for the exact same thing.

PAU


End file.
